When to Plant Caladium in Zone 3b

The USDA Zone info is a great tool for gardeners to help us estimate 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.

You should be able to determine when you can plant caladium by referring to the USDA zone info for Zone 3b.


Planting Calendar for Caladium

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

You really shouldn't plant caladium until after the last frost because they are not cold tolerant.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Legend 
A good time to plant caladium
Possibly ok, but a risky time to plant caladium
Probably not a good time to plant caladium

The earliest that you can plant caladium in Zone 3b 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 caladium and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your caladium may not have a chance to really do well. You can get started a few weeks earlier by starting your caladium indoors.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is May 15 in Zone 3b. You can expect an average low temperature of -35°F in the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Zone 3b 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 Zone 3b you get surprised by a frost after May 15 so just be sure to be ready to cover your caladium if you have one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for Zone 3b

Here is the info for USDA Zone 3b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)May 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)September 15
Lowest Expected Low-35°F
Highest Expected Low-30°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is -35°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near -30°F.

Plants to Grow in Zone 3b

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Zone 3b.