Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Acer capillipes (Acer capillipes)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Red Snakebark Maple.

More about acer capillipes

About Acer capillipes

Acer capillipes · also called Red Snakebark Maple · flowering

Red snakebark maple is a small deciduous tree grown for its green bark striped with white, vivid coral-red young shoots and leaf stalks, and orange-to-red autumn colour. Drooping clusters of small greenish flowers give way to winged samaras. Its year-round bark interest and compact size make it a fine specimen for smaller temperate gardens.

Cold limit: USDA 5-7 · RHS H6 (-29 to 30°C)

Watch for — Late-frost dieback: Tender spring shoots can be cut back by late frosts; plant in a sheltered position out of frost pockets.

What acer capillipes's hardiness rating actually means

Yes — acer capillipes is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H6 and USDA 5-7, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. Its RHS rating of H6 means: Hardy throughout the UK and northern Europe. On the US scale that maps to USDA 5-7 — the zones where it can be left outdoors year-round.

New to these scales? The USDA hardiness zone map explained covers how the zone numbers work, and you can find your own zone with the zone finder.

Minimum temperature — and what happens below it

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −20 to −15 °C. Acer capillipes is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for acer capillipes as it gets too cold:

It tolerates winter lows to about −20 to −15 °C once established.
Below its rated zone, the visible damage is browned or blackened top growth and, in the worst case, a killed crown or root.
First-year, newly planted, or container-grown specimens are noticeably less hardy than established garden plants — the roots are exposed.

Can acer capillipes go outside or overwinter — and where?

Plant it out within USDA 5-7 and it overwinters with little or no help.
It does not want to come indoors — a warm winter room actually weakens a hardy plant by denying it dormancy.
The real risks in its range are waterlogging, wind-rock on young plants, and a late hard frost on new growth — not ordinary winter cold.

Work back from your local frost dates with the frost-date calculator: the last spring frost and first autumn frost are what really decide when acer capillipes can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H6 figure above.

Acer capillipes hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is acer capillipes cold hardy?

Yes — acer capillipes is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H6 and USDA 5-7, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Acer capillipes is hardy across USDA 5-7; it belongs in the ground or a frost-proof container, not on a windowsill, and many types actively need a cold winter to perform.

What is the minimum temperature acer capillipes can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −20 to −15 °C. Acer capillipes is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

What hardiness zone is acer capillipes?

Acer capillipes is rated USDA 5-7 and RHS H6 — Hardy throughout the UK and northern Europe.

Can acer capillipes survive winter outside?

Plant it out within USDA 5-7 and it overwinters with little or no help. It does not want to come indoors — a warm winter room actually weakens a hardy plant by denying it dormancy. The real risks in its range are waterlogging, wind-rock on young plants, and a late hard frost on new growth — not ordinary winter cold.

What happens to acer capillipes below its minimum temperature?

It tolerates winter lows to about −20 to −15 °C once established. Below its rated zone, the visible damage is browned or blackened top growth and, in the worst case, a killed crown or root. First-year, newly planted, or container-grown specimens are noticeably less hardy than established garden plants — the roots are exposed.