When to Plant Firebush in Wilmette, IL

The USDA Zone info is a great tool for gardeners to help us estimate your gardening schedule. The zone info helps tell us things like average date of last frost and lowest expected temperature for your area.

The best time to plant firebush in Wilmette should be figured out by referring to the USDA zone info.


Planting Calendar for Firebush

Frost tolerance for firebush: Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant: After all chance of frost has passed.

You can not plant firebush until after the last frost because they are not cold tolerant.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Legend 
A good time to plant firebush
Possibly ok, but a risky time to plant firebush
Probably not a good time to plant firebush

The earliest that you can plant firebush in Wilmette is April. However, you really should wait until May if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant firebush and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your firebush may not have a chance to grow to maturity. If you are starting your firebush indoors then you might be able to get away with starting them a little bit earlier.

Last Frost Date

On average all chance of frost has passed is on April 15 in Wilmette. In the coldest months of winter you can expect an average low temperature of -15°F.

Always keep in mind that USDA zone info for Wilmette is not always accurate and the actual date of last frost can change quite a bit from year to year. Half of the time in Wilmette last frost occurs after April 15 so just be sure to be ready to protect your firebush in the event of a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Wilmette

Here is the info for USDA Zone 5b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)April 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)October 15
Lowest Expected Low-15°F
Highest Expected Low-10°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is -15°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near -10°F.

Plants to Grow in Wilmette

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Wilmette.