One of the first steps you take when you are estimating your gardening schedule is find your USDA Zone info. The zone info helps tell us things like average date of last frost and lowest expected temperature for your area.

In Zone 8a you can figure out when to plant lithospermum by reviewing the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Lithospermum

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

Since lithospermum are not cold tolerant it is necessary to wait until after the last frost has passed before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant lithospermum 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 lithospermum and expect a good harvest is probably August. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your lithospermum may not have a chance to fully mature. Starting your lithospermum indoors is a great way to get them started a couple of weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost when the weather gets warmer is on March 15 in Zone 8a. It might get as low as 10°F during the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Zone 8a 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 8a you get surprised by a frost after March 15 so be sure to be ready to protect your lithospermum if you have one of those late frosts.

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 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 Zone 8a

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