One of the first steps you take when you are estimating 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.

You should be able to figure out when it's a good idea to plant tropical water plants by checking out the USDA zone info for Zone 9a.

Planting Calendar for Tropical Water Plants

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

It's not a good idea to plant tropical water plants until after all chance of frost has passed because they do not do well in cold weather.

The earliest that you can plant tropical water plants in Zone 9a is March. However, you really should wait until April if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant tropical water plants and expect a good harvest is probably September. Any later than that and your tropical water plants may not have a chance to fully mature. You can get started a little bit earlier by starting your tropical water plants indoors.

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost when the weather gets warmer is on February 15 in Zone 9a. It might get as low as 20°F during the coldest months of winter.

Keep in mind that USDA zone info for Zone 9a is not always accurate and the actual date of last frost is different every year. Half of the time in Zone 9a there is a last frost after February 15 so make sure that you are prepared to protect your tropical water plants in the event of a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Zone 9a

Here is the info for USDA Zone 9a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	February 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	December 15
Lowest Expected Low	20°F
Highest Expected Low	25°F

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

Plants to Grow in Zone 9a

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Zone 9a.