When to plant lemon balm in Little Rock, Arkansas

March 21 – April 4

Transplant outdoors · typical Little Rock year

Climate basis: NOAA station Little Rock AP Adams Fld, AR (USW00013963), 3 mi (4 km) from downtown Little Rock (ZCTA 72201 centroid), elevation 258 ft, on the 1991–2020 climate normals. Transplant lemon balm outdoors from approximately the dates above, anchored to the median last spring 32°F freeze (March 21). One year in ten still freezes after April 6.

Last spring freezeMarch 211-in-10 after Apr 6

First fall freezeNovember 101-in-10 before Oct 29

Frost-free season≈ 234 daysmedian at 32°F

Hard freeze, 28°Mar 8 – Nov 21kills even hardy greens

USDA zone8a10 to 15°F winter low — not frost timing

The Little Rock year

Start seeds indoorsFeb 7 – Feb 21

Transplant outdoorsMar 21 – Apr 4

indoors under lights
in the garden
frost-free season
1-in-10 years still freeze to Apr 6

Lemon Balm in Little Rock · freeze context from Little Rock AP Adams Fld, AR, 1991–2020 normals.

Every method, with its sources

Start seeds indoors

Feb 7 – Feb 21

Wisconsin Horticulture sows lemon balm indoors about 4 to 6 weeks before the last spring frost, so the window runs 6 to 4 weeks before that date. Anchored to the median last spring freeze (Mar 21). University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension, Wisconsin Horticulture · Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech

Transplant outdoors

Mar 21 – Apr 4

Wisconsin Horticulture ties lemon balm transplanting to seedling height rather than a date, so the frost anchor comes from Virginia Cooperative Extension's herb publication — whose herb table lists lemon balm — which sets all herb plants out after the danger of severe frost has passed. Anchored to the median last spring freeze (Mar 21). Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech

Variety assumption: A hardy perennial that self-seeds freely; these windows apply to first-year plantings from seed or nursery plants.

These windows describe typical years (1991–2020 climate normals), not this year's forecast. Freezes happen outside them — especially in frost pockets, valleys, and urban edges. Watch the forecast before committing tender plants.

This week, not a typical year:

Crop rule sources (2)

University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension, Wisconsin Horticulture: Lemon Balm, Melissa officinalis (accessed 2026-07-25)
"Lemon balm can be started from seed sown indoors about 4 to 6 weeks before the last spring frost, although seeds may be somewhat slow to germinate."
Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech: Herb Culture and Use (Publication 426-420) (accessed 2026-07-25)
"In addition, many culinary herbs, such as tarragon, can only be propagated asexually; seed-grown plants lack the oils that give them flavor."

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