Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Aeschynanthus 'Mona Lisa' (Aeschynanthus 'Mona Lisa')cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Mona Lisa lipstick plant.

More about aeschynanthus 'mona lisa'

About Aeschynanthus 'Mona Lisa'

Aeschynanthus 'Mona Lisa' · also called Mona Lisa lipstick plant · flowering

Aeschynanthus 'Mona Lisa' is a popular lipstick-plant cultivar grown for its glossy deep-green leaves and abundant bright red tubular flowers along trailing stems. An easy, free-flowering epiphytic gesneriad, it shines in hanging baskets. Give it bright indirect light, warmth, moderate humidity and a slightly snug pot, letting the surface dry between thorough waterings.

Cold limit: USDA 10-11 (frost-tender; grown as a houseplant in most climates) · RHS H1b (18-27°C)

Watch for — Leaf drop: Cold draughts, chilling below about 15°C or inconsistent watering cause leaves to fall. Keep it warm, draught-free and on a steady watering routine.

What aeschynanthus 'mona lisa''s hardiness rating actually means

Aeschynanthus 'Mona Lisa' 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 H1b means: Sub-tropical — a normal warm home is fine, but it cannot go outside in a cool season. On the US scale that maps to USDA 10-11 (frost-tender; grown as a houseplant in most climates) — 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 10 °C (sustained cold below this is damaging). Aeschynanthus 'Mona Lisa' has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

Concretely, for aeschynanthus 'mona lisa' as it gets too cold:

Below about about 10 °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 aeschynanthus 'mona lisa' go outside or overwinter — and where?

It can holiday outdoors in summer once nights are reliably above 10 °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 aeschynanthus 'mona lisa' can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H1b figure above.

Aeschynanthus 'Mona Lisa' hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is aeschynanthus 'mona lisa' cold hardy?

Aeschynanthus 'Mona Lisa' 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. Aeschynanthus 'Mona Lisa' can only live outside year-round in genuinely frost-free climates (roughly USDA 10-11 (frost-tender; grown as a houseplant in most climates)); everywhere else it is a houseplant that summers out at most.

What is the minimum temperature aeschynanthus 'mona lisa' can survive?

What hardiness zone is aeschynanthus 'mona lisa'?

Aeschynanthus 'Mona Lisa' is rated USDA 10-11 (frost-tender; grown as a houseplant in most climates) and RHS H1b — Sub-tropical — a normal warm home is fine, but it cannot go outside in a cool season.

Can aeschynanthus 'mona lisa' survive winter outside?

It can holiday outdoors in summer once nights are reliably above 10 °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 aeschynanthus 'mona lisa' below its minimum temperature?

Below about about 10 °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.