Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Achachairu (Garcinia humilis)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Achachairu, Achacha, Bolivian Mangosteen, Bakupari.

More about achachairu

About Achachairu

Garcinia humilis · also called Achachairu, Achacha · tropical

Achachairu is a slow-growing Bolivian rainforest understory tree producing bright orange, sweet-tangy fruits often likened to a mini mangosteen. Naturally conical with strong apical dominance, it tolerates partial shade and adapts to container culture. Fruits arrive 4–5 years from seed. It is cold-sensitive and demands consistent moisture and warmth.

Cold limit: USDA 10b-12 · RHS H1a (22–32°C (optimal 23–26°C))

Watch for — Winter chlorosis: Prolonged cool temperatures (below 10°C) cause yellowing leaves through cold-induced iron deficiency. Move to a warm position, apply chelated iron foliar spray, and ensure soil temperature remains above 15°C.

What achachairu's hardiness rating actually means

Achachairu is not cold hardy. It is a tropical houseplant that dies if it is left out through frost — there is no zone where it overwinters outdoors in a UK or cold-US climate. Its RHS rating of H1a means: Tropical — needs a heated room or greenhouse; no frost tolerance whatsoever. On the US scale that maps to USDA 10b-12 — 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 above about 15 °C (warm, never cold). Achachairu has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

Concretely, for achachairu as it gets too cold:

Below about above about 15 °C, growth stalls and the leaves start to show cold stress — dark, water-soaked, or yellowing patches.
A single light frost blackens the foliage; a hard freeze kills the whole plant, roots included, and it does not recover.
Even a cold, draughty windowsill or an unheated porch in winter can be enough to damage it permanently.

Can achachairu go outside or overwinter — and where?

It can holiday outdoors in summer once nights are reliably above above 15 °C, in shade or dappled light, hardened off gradually.
Bring it back indoors well before the first autumn frost — do not wait for a frost warning, move it when nights drop toward 10-12 °C.
It will never overwinter outside in a temperate climate; the indoors is its winter home, full stop.

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 achachairu can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H1a figure above.

Achachairu hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is achachairu cold hardy?

Achachairu is not cold hardy. It is a tropical houseplant that dies if it is left out through frost — there is no zone where it overwinters outdoors in a UK or cold-US climate. Indoor-only in almost every home. Achachairu can only live outside year-round in genuinely frost-free climates (roughly USDA 10b-12); everywhere else it is a houseplant that summers out at most.

What is the minimum temperature achachairu can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly above about 15 °C (warm, never cold). Achachairu has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

What hardiness zone is achachairu?

Achachairu is rated USDA 10b-12 and RHS H1a — Tropical — needs a heated room or greenhouse; no frost tolerance whatsoever.

Can achachairu survive winter outside?

It can holiday outdoors in summer once nights are reliably above above 15 °C, in shade or dappled light, hardened off gradually. Bring it back indoors well before the first autumn frost — do not wait for a frost warning, move it when nights drop toward 10-12 °C. It will never overwinter outside in a temperate climate; the indoors is its winter home, full stop.

What happens to achachairu below its minimum temperature?

Below about above about 15 °C, growth stalls and the leaves start to show cold stress — dark, water-soaked, or yellowing patches. A single light frost blackens the foliage; a hard freeze kills the whole plant, roots included, and it does not recover. Even a cold, draughty windowsill or an unheated porch in winter can be enough to damage it permanently.