Before planting it is a good idea to find your USDA Zone info to determine 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.

You should be able to estimate when it's a good idea to plant anise by checking out the USDA zone info for Urbana.

Planting Calendar for Anise

Frost tolerance for anise:	Tolerant of a very small amount of frost.
When to plant:	Up to 3 weeks before last frost.

Since anise do ok in moderate cold you can plant them slightly earlier in the year than more sensitive plants.

The earliest that you can plant anise in Urbana 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 anise and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your anise may not have a chance to fully mature. You can get started a couple of weeks earlier by starting your anise indoors.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is April 15 in Urbana. In the coldest months of winter you should expect an average low temperature of -10°F.

Since the USDA zone info for Urbana may not be accurate from year to year the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Half of the time in Urbana last frost occurs after April 15 so be sure to be ready to protect your anise in the event of one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for Urbana

Here is the info for USDA Zone 6a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	April 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	October 15
Lowest Expected Low	-10°F
Highest Expected Low	-5°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 -5°F.

Plants to Grow in Urbana

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