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.

By looking at the USDA zone info for Columbus you should be able to estimate when to plant liatris.

Planting Calendar for Liatris

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

Liatris do well in quite a bit of cold which means that you can plant them earlier in the year than other frost tender plants.

The earliest that you can plant liatris in Columbus is February. However, you really should wait until March if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant liatris and expect a good harvest is probably September. Any later than that and your liatris may not have a chance to really do well. You can get started a couple of weeks earlier by starting your liatris indoors.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is March 15 in Columbus. It might get as low as 10°F during the coldest months of winter.

It's important to remember that USDA zone info for Columbus is an average and the actual date of last frost is different every year. Since half of the time in Columbus you get surprised by a frost after March 15 be ready to cover your liatris if you have a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Columbus

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 Columbus

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