One of the first steps you take when you are determining 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 Smithfield can be reviewed to figure out when you can plant hibiscus.

Planting Calendar for Hibiscus

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

You really shouldn't plant hibiscus until after the last frost when the weather gets warmer because they do not do well in cold weather.

The earliest that you can plant hibiscus in Smithfield 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 hibiscus and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your hibiscus may not have a chance to fully mature. You can get started a little bit earlier by starting your hibiscus indoors.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is March 15 in Smithfield. You should expect an average low temperature of 10°F in the coldest months of winter.

Keep in mind that USDA zone info for Smithfield is an average and the actual date of last frost changes from year to year. Half of the time in Smithfield there is a last frost after March 15 so always be ready to cover your hibiscus if you have a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Smithfield

Here is the info for USDA Zone 8a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	March 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	November 15
Lowest Expected Low	10°F
Highest Expected Low	15°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 10°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 15°F.

Plants to Grow in Smithfield

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