One of the best tools that you have as gardeners to help us figure out your gardening schedule is the USDA zone info. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

You will be able to determine when you can plant elephant ears by reviewing the USDA zone info for Cleveland.

Planting Calendar for Elephant Ears

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

Since elephant ears are not cold tolerant it is necessary to wait until after all chance of frost has passed before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant elephant ears in Cleveland 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 elephant ears and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your elephant ears may not have a chance to really do well. You can get started a few weeks earlier by starting your elephant ears indoors.

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost when the weather gets warmer is on March 15 in Cleveland. In the coldest months of winter you should expect an average low temperature of 10°F.

Since the USDA zone info for Cleveland is just an average the actual date of last frost can change quite a bit from year to year. Half of the time in Cleveland there is a last frost after March 15 so make sure that you are ready to protect your elephant ears in the event of a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Cleveland

Here is the info for USDA Zone 8a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	March 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	November 15
Lowest Expected Low	10°F
Highest Expected Low	15°F

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

Plants to Grow in Cleveland

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