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.

It's possible to determine when you can plant larkspur by reviewing the USDA zone info for Bismarck.

Planting Calendar for Larkspur

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

Larkspur can survive in a bit of cold which tells us that you can plant them a lot earlier in the year than more sensitive plants.

The earliest that you can plant larkspur in Bismarck 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 larkspur and expect a good harvest is probably August. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your larkspur may not have a chance to grow to maturity. If you are starting your larkspur indoors then you might be able to get away with starting them a couple of weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is May 15 in Bismarck. In the coldest months of winter you should expect an average low temperature of -30°F.

Since the USDA zone info for Bismarck may not be accurate from year to year the actual date of last frost changes from year to year. Since half of the time in Bismarck last frost occurs after May 15 be ready to cover your larkspur if you have one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for Bismarck

Here is the info for USDA Zone 4a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	May 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	September 15
Lowest Expected Low	-30°F
Highest Expected Low	-25°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is -30°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near -25°F.

Plants to Grow in Bismarck

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