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.

In Lake Elmo you can estimate when it's a good idea to plant hardy hibiscus by reviewing the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Hardy Hibiscus

Frost tolerance for hardy hibiscus:	Very tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	Up to 7 weeks before last frost.

Since hardy hibiscus do well in cold you can plant them a lot earlier in the year than more sensitive plants.

The earliest that you can plant hardy hibiscus in Lake Elmo 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 hardy hibiscus and expect a good harvest is probably August. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your hardy hibiscus may not have a chance to really do well. Starting your hardy 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 May 15 in Lake Elmo. It might get as low as -25°F during the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Lake Elmo is not always accurate the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Since half of the time in Lake Elmo it frosts late in the year after May 15 be ready to protect your hardy hibiscus if you have a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Lake Elmo

Here is the info for USDA Zone 4b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	May 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	September 15
Lowest Expected Low	-25°F
Highest Expected Low	-20°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 -20°F.

Plants to Grow in Lake Elmo

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Lake Elmo.