The USDA Zone info is a great tool for gardeners to help us estimate your gardening schedule. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

The USDA zone info for New Orleans can be read to figure out when it's possible to plant alternanthera.

Planting Calendar for Alternanthera

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

It's a bad idea to plant alternanthera until after the last frost because they require warm weather.

The earliest that you can plant alternanthera in New Orleans is March. However, you really should wait until April if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant alternanthera and expect a good harvest is probably September. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your alternanthera may not have a chance to fully mature. Starting your alternanthera indoors is a great way to get them started a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost has passed is on February 15 in New Orleans. In the coldest months of winter you should expect an average low temperature of 25°F.

Since the USDA zone info for New Orleans is not always accurate the actual date of last frost is different every year. Since half of the time in New Orleans you get a frost after February 15 be ready to cover your alternanthera if you have a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for New Orleans

Here is the info for USDA Zone 9b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	February 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	December 15
Lowest Expected Low	25°F
Highest Expected Low	30°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 25°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 30°F.

Plants to Grow in New Orleans

You may be interested in your other planting guides for New Orleans.