Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Anubias barteri var. barteri (Anubias barteri var. barteri)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Anubias barteri, broad-leaf Anubias.

More about anubias barteri var. barteri

About Anubias barteri var. barteri

Anubias barteri var. barteri · also called Anubias barteri, broad-leaf Anubias · tropical

Anubias barteri var. barteri is a slow-growing West African aquatic aroid prized for tough, glossy broad leaves on a creeping rhizome. It thrives attached to wood or rock under low light, drawing nutrients from the water column. Almost indestructible, it suits beginner aquascapes and tolerates herbivorous fish that ignore its leathery, bitter foliage.

Cold limit: USDA 11-12 (true tropical; aquarium/indoor only in most climates) · RHS H1a (22-28°C)

What anubias barteri var. barteri's hardiness rating actually means

Anubias barteri var. barteri 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 H1a means: Tropical — needs a heated room or greenhouse; no frost tolerance whatsoever. On the US scale that maps to USDA 11-12 (true tropical; aquarium/indoor only 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 above about 15 °C (warm, never cold). Anubias barteri var. barteri has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

Concretely, for anubias barteri var. barteri as it gets too cold:

Below about above about 15 °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 anubias barteri var. barteri go outside or overwinter — and where?

It can holiday outdoors in summer once nights are reliably above above 15 °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 anubias barteri var. barteri can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H1a figure above.

Anubias barteri var. barteri hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is anubias barteri var. barteri cold hardy?

Anubias barteri var. barteri 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. Anubias barteri var. barteri can only live outside year-round in genuinely frost-free climates (roughly USDA 11-12 (true tropical; aquarium/indoor only in most climates)); everywhere else it is a houseplant that summers out at most.

What is the minimum temperature anubias barteri var. barteri can survive?

What hardiness zone is anubias barteri var. barteri?

Anubias barteri var. barteri is rated USDA 11-12 (true tropical; aquarium/indoor only in most climates) and RHS H1a — Tropical — needs a heated room or greenhouse; no frost tolerance whatsoever.

Can anubias barteri var. barteri survive winter outside?

It can holiday outdoors in summer once nights are reliably above above 15 °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 anubias barteri var. barteri below its minimum temperature?

Below about above about 15 °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.