Cold hardiness & minimum temperature
Is Antirrhinum majus 'Sonnet Pink' (Antirrhinum majus 'Sonnet Pink')cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp
Also called Sonnet Pink Snapdragon, Mid-height Pink Snapdragon.
More about antirrhinum majus 'sonnet pink'
About Antirrhinum majus 'Sonnet Pink'
Antirrhinum majus 'Sonnet Pink' · also called Sonnet Pink Snapdragon, Mid-height Pink Snapdragon · flowering
A mid-height snapdragon from the well-branched Sonnet series, valued for sturdy stems and uniform soft-pink spikes that bridge bedding and cutting use. 'Sonnet Pink' flowers earlier and more freely than taller types, staying upright without much staking. It performs best in cool seasons, rewarding deadheading with a strong second flush of dragon-mouth blooms.
Cold limit: USDA 7-11 (short-lived perennial in mild zones, usually grown as a cool-season annual) · RHS H3 (10-24°C)
What antirrhinum majus 'sonnet pink''s hardiness rating actually means
Hardiness works differently for antirrhinum majus 'sonnet pink': it is grown as a seasonal crop, not overwintered. The question is not "what zone" but "how long is your frost-free growing window". Its RHS rating of H3 means: Half-hardy — comes through mild UK winters outside but is killed by a hard freeze. On the US scale that maps to USDA 7-11 (short-lived perennial in mild zones, usually grown as a cool-season annual) — 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
As an annual crop, its "minimum temperature" is the first hard frost — that is the end of the plant's life, not a survivable low. Many types are also damaged by light frost (around 0 °C).
Concretely, for antirrhinum majus 'sonnet pink' as it gets too cold:
- Light frost (around 0 to −2 °C) damages or kills tender summer crops outright; cold-hardy types take a few degrees of frost.
- The plant does not "survive winter" — its life cycle simply ends, by design, when frost arrives or it finishes cropping.
- A surprise late spring frost can also kill young transplants set out too early, before the season even starts.
Can antirrhinum majus 'sonnet pink' go outside or overwinter — and where?
- Time it to your frost dates: sow or plant out after the last spring frost, and aim to harvest before the first autumn frost.
- In short-season zones, start it indoors or under cover to stretch the effective growing window.
- Hardier crops in this group can be sown for an autumn or overwintered harvest in mild zones — check the specific crop.
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 antirrhinum majus 'sonnet pink' can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H3 figure above.
Frost protection for borderline antirrhinum majus 'sonnet pink'
Antirrhinum majus 'Sonnet Pink' is right on a hardiness edge in many gardens, so if you are pushing it, these measures buy it the margin it needs:
- Use fleece, cloches or a cold frame at each end of the season to dodge a borderline frost and add growing weeks.
- Have row cover ready for an unexpected late spring or early autumn frost.
- Know your local last- and first-frost dates and count back the crop’s days-to-maturity to schedule the sowing.
Antirrhinum majus 'Sonnet Pink' hardiness — frequently asked questions
Is antirrhinum majus 'sonnet pink' cold hardy?
Hardiness works differently for antirrhinum majus 'sonnet pink': it is grown as a seasonal crop, not overwintered. The question is not "what zone" but "how long is your frost-free growing window". A seasonal crop, not a perennial. Antirrhinum majus 'Sonnet Pink' is grown 7-11 (short-lived perennial in mild zones, usually grown as a cool-season annual); you sow after the last frost and harvest before the first one, then start again next year.
What is the minimum temperature antirrhinum majus 'sonnet pink' can survive?
As an annual crop, its "minimum temperature" is the first hard frost — that is the end of the plant's life, not a survivable low. Many types are also damaged by light frost (around 0 °C).
What hardiness zone is antirrhinum majus 'sonnet pink'?
Antirrhinum majus 'Sonnet Pink' is rated USDA 7-11 (short-lived perennial in mild zones, usually grown as a cool-season annual) and RHS H3 — Half-hardy — comes through mild UK winters outside but is killed by a hard freeze.
Can antirrhinum majus 'sonnet pink' survive winter outside?
Time it to your frost dates: sow or plant out after the last spring frost, and aim to harvest before the first autumn frost. In short-season zones, start it indoors or under cover to stretch the effective growing window. Hardier crops in this group can be sown for an autumn or overwintered harvest in mild zones — check the specific crop.
How do I protect antirrhinum majus 'sonnet pink' from frost?
Use fleece, cloches or a cold frame at each end of the season to dodge a borderline frost and add growing weeks. Have row cover ready for an unexpected late spring or early autumn frost. Know your local last- and first-frost dates and count back the crop’s days-to-maturity to schedule the sowing.
Keep reading
- Antirrhinum majus 'Sonnet Pink' care — the full brief (light, water, soil, problems, pet safety)
- USDA hardiness zones — find yours and what grows there
- Is antirrhinum majus 'sonnet pink' hardy in the UK? — the RHS-rating version
- RHS hardiness ratings — the UK system explained
- Frost-date calculator — your real outdoor window
- The USDA hardiness zone map, explained
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