Before planting it is a good idea to find your USDA Zone info to figure out 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 estimate when it's possible to plant cardinal flower by looking at the USDA zone info for Wisconsin Rapids.

Planting Calendar for Cardinal Flower

Frost tolerance for cardinal flower:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost has passed.

Since cardinal flower do not do well in cold weather you really should wait until after the last frost has passed before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant cardinal flower in Wisconsin Rapids is May. However, you really should wait until June if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant cardinal flower and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your cardinal flower may not have a chance to really do well. Starting your cardinal flower indoors is a great way to get them started a couple of weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

In Wisconsin Rapids the average date of last frost happens on May 15. It might get as low as -25°F during the coldest months of winter.

Just be sure to remember that the actual date of last frost is an average because it is based on the USDA zone info for Wisconsin Rapids and it is different every year. Half of the time in Wisconsin Rapids last frost occurs after May 15 so make sure that you are ready to protect your cardinal flower if you have a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Wisconsin Rapids

Here is the info for USDA Zone 4b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	May 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	September 15
Lowest Expected Low	-25°F
Highest Expected Low	-20°F

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

Plants to Grow in Wisconsin Rapids

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Wisconsin Rapids.