Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Beefsteak Begonia (Begonia erythrophylla)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Beefsteak Begonia, Beef Begonia, Pond Lily Begonia, Kidney Begonia.

More about beefsteak begonia

About Beefsteak Begonia

Begonia erythrophylla · also called Beefsteak Begonia, Beef Begonia · houseplant

The Beefsteak Begonia is an easy-going rhizomatous houseplant prized for glossy round leaves that are green on top and deep red underneath. Give it bright indirect light, let the soil dry slightly between waterings, and keep it warm. It is toxic to cats and dogs, so place it out of pets' reach.

Cold limit: USDA 8b-11 (grown as a houseplant or tender perennial elsewhere) (15-24 C)

Watch for — Winter leaf drop / dormancy: Some lower-leaf loss and slowed growth in winter is normal. Cut back on water and feed, and resume normal care as light returns in spring.

What beefsteak begonia's hardiness rating actually means

Beefsteak Begonia 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 8b-11 (grown as a houseplant or tender perennial elsewhere) — 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). Beefsteak Begonia has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

Concretely, for beefsteak begonia 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 beefsteak begonia 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 beefsteak begonia can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H1b figure above.

Beefsteak Begonia hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is beefsteak begonia cold hardy?

Beefsteak Begonia 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. Beefsteak Begonia can only live outside year-round in genuinely frost-free climates (roughly USDA 8b-11 (grown as a houseplant or tender perennial elsewhere)); everywhere else it is a houseplant that summers out at most.

What is the minimum temperature beefsteak begonia can survive?

What hardiness zone is beefsteak begonia?

Beefsteak Begonia is rated USDA 8b-11 (grown as a houseplant or tender perennial elsewhere) and RHS H1b — Sub-tropical — a normal warm home is fine, but it cannot go outside in a cool season.

Can beefsteak begonia 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 beefsteak begonia 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.