Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Anthurium besseae aff. (Dark Velvet) (Anthurium besseae aff.)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Dark Velvet Anthurium, Velvet Anthurium, Besseae Anthurium.

More about anthurium besseae aff. (dark velvet)

About Anthurium besseae aff. (Dark Velvet)

Anthurium besseae aff. · also called Dark Velvet Anthurium, Velvet Anthurium · houseplant

Anthurium besseae aff. 'Dark Velvet' is a compact, velvety-leaved aroid from Ecuador's rainforest understory, prized by collectors for its near-black foliage. It needs bright indirect light, 70% humidity and a warm, airy epiphytic mix. The ASPCA lists Anthurium as toxic to cats and dogs, so keep it well out of reach.

Cold limit: USDA Not winter-hardy; grow indoors. Roughly USDA zone 11+ outdoors (tolerates no frost; protect below about 15C / 59F). (18-27C)

Watch for — Brown, crispy leaf edges: Usually low humidity or dry/salty water. Raise humidity toward 70%, use rain or filtered water, and keep it out of dry drafts.

What anthurium besseae aff. (dark velvet)'s hardiness rating actually means

Anthurium besseae aff. (Dark Velvet) 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 Not winter-hardy; grow indoors. Roughly USDA zone 11+ outdoors (tolerates no frost; protect below about 15C / 59F). — 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). Anthurium besseae aff. (Dark Velvet) has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

Concretely, for anthurium besseae aff. (dark velvet) 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 anthurium besseae aff. (dark velvet) 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 anthurium besseae aff. (dark velvet) can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H1b figure above.

Anthurium besseae aff. (Dark Velvet) hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is anthurium besseae aff. (dark velvet) cold hardy?

Anthurium besseae aff. (Dark Velvet) 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. Anthurium besseae aff. (Dark Velvet) can only live outside year-round in genuinely frost-free climates (roughly USDA Not winter-hardy; grow indoors. Roughly USDA zone 11+ outdoors (tolerates no frost; protect below about 15C / 59F).); everywhere else it is a houseplant that summers out at most.

What is the minimum temperature anthurium besseae aff. (dark velvet) can survive?

What hardiness zone is anthurium besseae aff. (dark velvet)?

Anthurium besseae aff. (Dark Velvet) is rated USDA Not winter-hardy; grow indoors. Roughly USDA zone 11+ outdoors (tolerates no frost; protect below about 15C / 59F). and RHS H1b — Sub-tropical — a normal warm home is fine, but it cannot go outside in a cool season.

Can anthurium besseae aff. (dark velvet) 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 anthurium besseae aff. (dark velvet) 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.