Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Striped Begonia (Listada) (Begonia listada)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Striped Begonia, Listada Begonia, Begonia listada.

More about striped begonia (listada)

About Striped Begonia (Listada)

Begonia listada · also called Striped Begonia, Listada Begonia · houseplant

Begonia listada is a velvety, shrub-like begonia from southern Brazil prized for olive-green leaves with a bright chartreuse central stripe and red undersides. It wants bright indirect light, warmth, and very high humidity, staying evenly moist but never soggy. ASPCA lists begonias as toxic to cats and dogs, so keep it out of reach.

Cold limit: USDA 10-11 (frost-tender; grown as a houseplant or in a terrarium elsewhere) (18-24C (tolerates 10-30C))

Watch for — Crispy, browning leaf edges: A sign of air that is too dry or heat stress. Raise humidity (terrarium, humidifier, pebble tray) and keep it away from radiators, heat vents, and cold draughts.

What striped begonia (listada)'s hardiness rating actually means

Striped Begonia (Listada) 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 H1c means: Warm-temperate — can summer outdoors but must come in well before the first frost. On the US scale that maps to USDA 10-11 (frost-tender; grown as a houseplant or in a terrarium 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 5 °C (and never frost). Striped Begonia (Listada) has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

Concretely, for striped begonia (listada) as it gets too cold:

Below about about 5 °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 striped begonia (listada) go outside or overwinter — and where?

It can holiday outdoors in summer once nights are reliably above 5 °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 striped begonia (listada) can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H1c figure above.

Striped Begonia (Listada) hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is striped begonia (listada) cold hardy?

Striped Begonia (Listada) 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. Striped Begonia (Listada) can only live outside year-round in genuinely frost-free climates (roughly USDA 10-11 (frost-tender; grown as a houseplant or in a terrarium elsewhere)); everywhere else it is a houseplant that summers out at most.

What is the minimum temperature striped begonia (listada) can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about 5 °C (and never frost). Striped Begonia (Listada) has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

What hardiness zone is striped begonia (listada)?

Striped Begonia (Listada) is rated USDA 10-11 (frost-tender; grown as a houseplant or in a terrarium elsewhere) and RHS H1c — Warm-temperate — can summer outdoors but must come in well before the first frost.

Can striped begonia (listada) survive winter outside?

It can holiday outdoors in summer once nights are reliably above 5 °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 striped begonia (listada) below its minimum temperature?

Below about about 5 °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.