One of the first steps you take when you are estimating your gardening schedule is find your 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 reviewing the USDA zone info for Elizabeth City you will be able to determine when it's a good idea to plant tropical hibiscus.

Planting Calendar for Tropical Hibiscus

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

It's not a good idea to plant tropical hibiscus until after all chance of frost has passed because they do not do well in cold weather.

The earliest that you can plant tropical hibiscus in Elizabeth City 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 tropical hibiscus and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your tropical hibiscus may not have a chance to grow to maturity. You can get started a few weeks earlier by starting your tropical hibiscus indoors.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is March 15 in Elizabeth City. You can expect an average low temperature of 10°F in the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Elizabeth City may not be accurate from year to year the actual date of last frost changes from year to year. Half of the time in Elizabeth City it frosts late in the year after March 15 so just be sure to be ready to protect your tropical hibiscus in the event of a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Elizabeth City

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 Elizabeth City

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Elizabeth City.