Seasonal Tips

A Cool May in Indiana: Why It Might Actually Help Your Plants

Sales Director & Design Expert · May 5, 2026

You’re hearing it everywhere right now — cooler-than-normal May, frost risk lingering, slower start to the season. And while that sounds like a problem, it’s not all bad.

What’s Actually Happening

According to recent outlooks from The Weather Channel and AccuWeather:

✓ The Midwest is expected to stay cooler than average through much of May
✓ Cold air will continue to dip south in waves due to lingering atmospheric patterns
✓ This increases the risk of late frost and slower warming soils

The Hidden Benefits of a Cool May

A slower start can actually help certain plants.

Less heat stress early. Plants aren’t being pushed too hard too fast. That means:

✓ Better root development
✓ Less transplant shock
✓ More controlled growth

A better establishment window. Instead of explosive top growth, plants focus on roots first, growth second. And that’s what sets them up for success later.

Cool-loving plants thrive. These tend to benefit:

✓ Pansies and violas
✓ Snapdragons
✓ Dusty miller
✓ Osteospermum
✓ Petunias (early in the season)

They hold better color and structure in cooler conditions.

Plants That May Lag Behind

This is where expectations matter. Warm-season plants don’t love a cool May.

Heat-lovers that may stall:

✓ Lantana
✓ Vinca
✓ Caladiums
✓ Coleus (especially through cold nights)
✓ Sweet potato vine

These plants sit still, look “off,” and don’t size up quickly.

Important Perspective

They’re not failing. They’re waiting. Once temperatures stabilize, they’ll take off.

One More Factor: Rain + Cool = Slow Growth

Cool weather combined with rain can:

✓ Slow metabolism
✓ Reduce nutrient uptake
✓ Delay blooming

So plants may look behind and not fill out as quickly.

What You Should Do Right Now

Be patient with heat lovers. Don’t replace them too early. They’ll come around.

Keep feeding. Even if growth is slow, plants still need nutrients to be ready when heat arrives.

Watch for frost windows. A cool May means extended frost risk. Protect:

✓ Begonias
✓ Impatiens
✓ Coleus
✓ Lantana

Lean into the conditions. If you’re planting now, use plants that like cool weather.

The Real Takeaway

A cool May doesn’t ruin your season — it just changes the timeline.

It slows things down, extends risk, and delays some plants. But it also builds stronger plants for summer.

✓ Cool start → slower growth
✓ Warm finish → stronger plants

Hoosier Tip

If a heat-lover looks like it’s sulking right now, leave it alone. Pulling it and replacing it costs money and resets the clock; waiting two weeks for warmth costs nothing — and the plant that waited it out will outperform the panicked replacement every time.

Reference: The Weather Channel · AccuWeather long-range outlooks · Purdue University Extension · Michigan State University Extension — Indiana gardening resources