One of the best tools that you have as gardeners to help us estimate your gardening schedule is the USDA zone info. The zone info helps tell us things like average date of last frost and lowest expected temperature for your area.

It's possible to estimate when you can plant tropical hibiscus by reviewing the USDA zone info for Louisville.

Planting Calendar for Tropical Hibiscus

Frost tolerance for tropical hibiscus:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost.

You really shouldn't plant tropical hibiscus until after the last frost because they do not do well in cold weather.

The earliest that you can plant tropical hibiscus in Louisville 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 tropical hibiscus and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your tropical hibiscus may not have a chance to fully mature. Starting your tropical hibiscus indoors is a great way to get them started a couple of weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is April 15 in Louisville. In the coldest months of winter you should expect an average low temperature of 0°F.

Since the USDA zone info for Louisville is just an average the actual date of last frost can change quite a bit from year to year. Half of the time in Louisville last frost occurs after April 15 so make sure that you are prepared to cover your tropical hibiscus in the event of a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Louisville

Here is the info for USDA Zone 7a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	April 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	October 15
Lowest Expected Low	0°F
Highest Expected Low	5°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 0°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 5°F.

Plants to Grow in Louisville

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