The USDA Zone info is a great tool for gardeners to help us figure out your gardening schedule. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

A way of making a decision about when to plant calliopsis is to use the USDA zone info for Independence.

Planting Calendar for Calliopsis

Frost tolerance for calliopsis:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost when the weather gets warmer.

You really shouldn't plant calliopsis until after all chance of frost has passed because they do not do well in cold weather.

The earliest that you can plant calliopsis in Independence 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 calliopsis and expect a good harvest is probably August. If you wait any later than that and your calliopsis may not have a chance to grow to maturity. You can get started a little bit earlier by starting your calliopsis indoors.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is March 15 in Independence. In the coldest months of winter you should expect an average low temperature of 15°F.

Since the USDA zone info for Independence is just an average the actual date of last frost is different every year. Half of the time in Independence there is a last frost after March 15 so make sure that you are prepared to cover your calliopsis if you have a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Independence

Here is the info for USDA Zone 8b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	March 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	November 15
Lowest Expected Low	15°F
Highest Expected Low	20°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 20°F.

Plants to Grow in Independence

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