Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Angelica (Angelica archangelica)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called angelica, garden angelica, Norwegian angelica.

More about angelica

About Angelica

Angelica archangelica · also called angelica, garden angelica · herb

Angelica is a tall, statuesque biennial or short-lived perennial grown for its celery-scented stems, aromatic seeds, and architectural domed flower heads. It thrives in cool, damp climates, preferring moist, rich soil and partial shade. Native to northern Europe, it dies after flowering but self-seeds freely, making it a striking back-of-border herb for cottage and edible gardens.

Cold limit: USDA 4-9 (grown outdoors; cool-summer climates preferred) · RHS H5 (10-21°C)

What angelica's hardiness rating actually means

Yes — angelica is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H5 and USDA 4-9 (grown outdoors; cool-summer climates preferred), it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. Its RHS rating of H5 means: Hardy in most of the UK and in cold winters. On the US scale that maps to USDA 4-9 (grown outdoors; cool-summer climates preferred) — 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 −15 to −10 °C. Angelica is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for angelica as it gets too cold:

It tolerates winter lows to about −15 to −10 °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 angelica go outside or overwinter — and where?

Plant it out within USDA 4-9 (grown outdoors; cool-summer climates preferred) 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 angelica can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H5 figure above.

Angelica hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is angelica cold hardy?

Yes — angelica is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H5 and USDA 4-9 (grown outdoors; cool-summer climates preferred), it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Angelica is hardy across USDA 4-9 (grown outdoors; cool-summer climates preferred); 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 angelica can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −15 to −10 °C. Angelica is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

What hardiness zone is angelica?

Angelica is rated USDA 4-9 (grown outdoors; cool-summer climates preferred) and RHS H5 — Hardy in most of the UK and in cold winters.

Can angelica survive winter outside?

Plant it out within USDA 4-9 (grown outdoors; cool-summer climates preferred) 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 angelica below its minimum temperature?

It tolerates winter lows to about −15 to −10 °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.