When to Plant Chrysanthemum in Zone 8a

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 estimating when you can plant chrysanthemum is to use the USDA zone info for Zone 8a.


Planting Calendar for Chrysanthemum

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

Since chrysanthemum do not do well in cold weather you really should wait until after the last frost when the weather gets warmer before you can plant them.

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

The earliest that you can plant chrysanthemum in Zone 8a 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 chrysanthemum and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your chrysanthemum may not have a chance to really do well. Starting your chrysanthemum indoors is a great way to get them started a couple of weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

In Zone 8a the average date of last frost happens on March 15. You can expect an average low temperature of 10°F in the coldest months of winter.

Remember that the actual date of last frost may not be accurate from year to year because it is based on the USDA zone info for Zone 8a and it can change quite a bit from year to year. Half of the time in Zone 8a you get a frost after March 15 so be sure to be ready to protect your chrysanthemum if you have a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Zone 8a

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 Low10°F
Highest Expected Low15°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 Zone 8a

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Zone 8a.