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.

One way of figuring out when it's a good idea to plant canna is to refer to the USDA zone info for Athens.

Planting Calendar for Canna

Frost tolerance for canna:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost.

Since canna require warm weather you really should wait until after the last frost has passed before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant canna in Athens 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 canna and expect a good harvest is probably August. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your canna may not have a chance to really do well. You can get started a couple of weeks earlier by starting your canna indoors.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is April 15 in Athens. You can expect an average low temperature of 0°F in the coldest months of winter.

Keep in mind that USDA zone info for Athens may not be accurate from year to year and the actual date of last frost is different every year. Since half of the time in Athens there is a last frost after April 15 be ready to cover your canna in the event of a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Athens

Here is the info for USDA Zone 7a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	April 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	October 15
Lowest Expected Low	0°F
Highest Expected Low	5°F

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

Plants to Grow in Athens

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