Before planting it is a good idea to find your USDA Zone info to estimate 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 will be able to determine when it's the best time to plant larkspur by looking at the USDA zone info for Charleston.

Planting Calendar for Larkspur

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

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

The earliest that you can plant larkspur in Charleston is January. However, you really should wait until February if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant larkspur and expect a good harvest is probably October. Any later than that and your larkspur may not have a chance to grow to maturity. Starting your larkspur indoors is a great way to get them started a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is February 15 in Charleston. In the coldest months of winter you should expect an average low temperature of 20°F.

Since the USDA zone info for Charleston is an average the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Since half of the time in Charleston you get a frost after February 15 be ready to protect your larkspur if you have a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Charleston

Here is the info for USDA Zone 9a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	February 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	December 15
Lowest Expected Low	20°F
Highest Expected Low	25°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 20°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 25°F.

Plants to Grow in Charleston

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