When to Plant Firebush in State College, PA

One of the first steps you take when you are getting a good idea 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.

The USDA zone info for State College should be read to determine when it's possible to plant firebush.


Planting Calendar for Firebush

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

Since firebush are not cold tolerant it is necessary to wait until after the last frost has passed before you can plant them.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Legend 
A good time to plant firebush
Possibly ok, but a risky time to plant firebush
Probably not a good time to plant firebush

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

Last Frost Date

In State College the average date of last frost happens on April 15. You can expect an average low temperature of -5°F in the coldest months of winter.

Keep in mind that the actual date of last frost may not be accurate from year to year because it is based on the USDA zone info for State College and it can change quite a bit from year to year. Since half of the time in State College last frost occurs after April 15 be ready to protect your firebush in the event of one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for State College

Here is the info for USDA Zone 6b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)April 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)October 15
Lowest Expected Low-5°F
Highest Expected Low0°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is -5°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 0°F.

Plants to Grow in State College

You may be interested in your other planting guides for State College.