One of the best tools that you have as gardeners to help us estimate your gardening schedule is the 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.

One way of determining when you can plant penstemon is to refer to the USDA zone info for Port Arthur.

Planting Calendar for Penstemon

Frost tolerance for penstemon:	Tolerant of some frost.
When to plant:	Up to 5 weeks before last frost.

Penstemon tend to make it in moderate cold which means that you can plant them a little earlier in the year than other frost tender plants.

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

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost is on February 15 in Port Arthur. It might get as low as 20°F during the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Port Arthur 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 Port Arthur you get surprised by a frost after February 15 so make sure that you are ready to protect your penstemon in the event of a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Port Arthur

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 Port Arthur

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Port Arthur.