Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Alchemilla mollis (Alchemilla mollis)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Lady's mantle, Soft lady's mantle.

More about alchemilla mollis

About Alchemilla mollis

Alchemilla mollis · also called Lady's mantle, Soft lady's mantle · flowering

Lady's mantle is a robust, mound-forming perennial grown for its softly hairy, pleated grey-green leaves that catch dew in silvery beads, and for froths of tiny chartreuse-yellow flowers in early to midsummer. Reaching around 0.45-0.6 m, it makes superb ground cover and edging in sun or shade and is a florist's favourite filler.

Cold limit: USDA 3-8 (very hardy garden perennial) · RHS H7 (-29 to 27°C)

What alchemilla mollis's hardiness rating actually means

Yes — alchemilla mollis is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H7 and USDA 3-8 (very hardy garden perennial), it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. Its RHS rating of H7 means: Hardy in the severest European continental winters. On the US scale that maps to USDA 3-8 (very hardy garden perennial) — 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 below about −20 °C. Alchemilla mollis is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for alchemilla mollis as it gets too cold:

It tolerates winter lows to about −20 °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 alchemilla mollis go outside or overwinter — and where?

Plant it out within USDA 3-8 (very hardy garden perennial) 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 alchemilla mollis can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H7 figure above.

Alchemilla mollis hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is alchemilla mollis cold hardy?

Yes — alchemilla mollis is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H7 and USDA 3-8 (very hardy garden perennial), it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Alchemilla mollis is hardy across USDA 3-8 (very hardy garden perennial); 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 alchemilla mollis can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly below about −20 °C. Alchemilla mollis is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

What hardiness zone is alchemilla mollis?

Alchemilla mollis is rated USDA 3-8 (very hardy garden perennial) and RHS H7 — Hardy in the severest European continental winters.

Can alchemilla mollis survive winter outside?

Plant it out within USDA 3-8 (very hardy garden perennial) 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 alchemilla mollis below its minimum temperature?

It tolerates winter lows to about −20 °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.