Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Begonia 'Red Robin' (Begonia rex-cultorum 'Red Robin')cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called red robin begonia, rex red robin.

More about begonia 'red robin'

About Begonia 'Red Robin'

Begonia rex-cultorum 'Red Robin' · also called red robin begonia, rex red robin · houseplant

Begonia 'Red Robin' is a rex-cultorum hybrid with rounded, spiralled leaves in rich rosy-red and deep maroon ringed with a darker margin. It needs bright indirect light, high humidity and a light, free-draining mix kept lightly moist. A compact, mounding foliage plant, it dislikes direct sun, cold drafts and waterlogged crowns.

Cold limit: USDA 10-11 (indoor in most US homes) · RHS H1b (18-24°C)

What begonia 'red robin''s hardiness rating actually means

Begonia 'Red Robin' 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 10-11 (indoor in most US homes) — 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). Begonia 'Red Robin' has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

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

Begonia 'Red Robin' hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is begonia 'red robin' cold hardy?

Begonia 'Red Robin' 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. Begonia 'Red Robin' can only live outside year-round in genuinely frost-free climates (roughly USDA 10-11 (indoor in most US homes)); everywhere else it is a houseplant that summers out at most.

What is the minimum temperature begonia 'red robin' can survive?

What hardiness zone is begonia 'red robin'?

Begonia 'Red Robin' is rated USDA 10-11 (indoor in most US homes) and RHS H1b — Sub-tropical — a normal warm home is fine, but it cannot go outside in a cool season.

Can begonia 'red robin' 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 begonia 'red robin' 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.