Before planting it is a good idea to find your USDA Zone info to estimate your garden schedule. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

The first opportunity to plant fuchsia in Missoula should be figured out by reviewing the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Fuchsia

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

You really shouldn't plant fuchsia until after the last frost when the weather gets warmer because they are not cold tolerant.

The earliest that you can plant fuchsia in Missoula 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 fuchsia and expect a good harvest is probably August. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your fuchsia may not have a chance to fully mature. You can get started a little bit earlier by starting your fuchsia indoors.

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost has passed is on April 15 in Missoula. In the coldest months of winter you can expect an average low temperature of -15°F.

It's important to remember that USDA zone info for Missoula may not be accurate from year to year and the actual date of last frost can change quite a bit from year to year. Half of the time in Missoula you get surprised by a frost after April 15 so be sure to be ready to protect your fuchsia if you have one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for Missoula

Here is the info for USDA Zone 5b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	April 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	October 15
Lowest Expected Low	-15°F
Highest Expected Low	-10°F

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

Plants to Grow in Missoula

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