Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Burrawang (Macrozamia communis)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Burrawang, Burrawang Cycad, Common Zamia.

More about burrawang

About Burrawang

Macrozamia communis · also called Burrawang, Burrawang Cycad · tropical

Macrozamia communis is an Australian cycad native to coastal New South Wales, where it grows in dry sclerophyll forest understorey. It tolerates drought, poor soils, and deep shade once established, making it a resilient but very slow-growing ornamental. The single most important care fact is that it needs near-perfect drainage — waterlogged roots rot rapidly, often fatally. Highly toxic to dogs and cats (and humans); all parts contain cycasin and should be kept well away from pets and children.

Cold limit: USDA 9–11 · RHS H2 (5–30 °C)

What burrawang's hardiness rating actually means

Burrawang is half-hardy (RHS H2). It survives a mild winter outdoors in a sheltered spot, but a hard frost kills it — so in colder zones it is lifted, potted, or grown as a tender plant. Its RHS rating of H2 means: Tender — survives a frost-free greenhouse or a very mild, sheltered spot. On the US scale that maps to USDA 9–11 — 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 1 to 5 °C — tolerates cold but no real frost. Burrawang shrugs off cold nights but a real, sustained freeze will kill it.

Concretely, for burrawang as it gets too cold:

Down to roughly about 1 to 5 °C it copes, especially if dry and sheltered.
A sustained hard frost collapses the top growth; whether it returns depends on whether the roots, crown or tubers froze.
Wet cold is far more lethal than dry cold for this plant — soggy, frozen soil is the usual killer.

Can burrawang go outside or overwinter — and where?

It can live outside year-round only in the mildest, most sheltered part of USDA 9–11 or a frost-free UK microclimate.
In colder zones, grow it in a pot you can move under cover, or lift its tubers/roots and store them frost-free over winter.
A south-facing wall, free-draining soil and a dry winter position can push it a full zone hardier than the books suggest.

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 burrawang can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H2 figure above.

Frost protection for borderline burrawang

Burrawang is right on a hardiness edge in many gardens, so if you are pushing it, these measures buy it the margin it needs:

Mulch the crown or root zone deeply with bark, straw or leaf-mould before the first hard frost.
Move container plants against a warm wall or into an unheated but frost-free porch or greenhouse.
Fleece the top growth on the coldest nights, and keep it on the dry side — dry roots survive cold far better than wet ones.
Lift dahlia-type tubers or tender crowns after the first light frost blackens the foliage and store them somewhere cool but frost-free.

Burrawang hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is burrawang cold hardy?

Burrawang is half-hardy (RHS H2). It survives a mild winter outdoors in a sheltered spot, but a hard frost kills it — so in colder zones it is lifted, potted, or grown as a tender plant. Borderline outdoors. In its mild end of USDA 9–11 (and sheltered UK gardens) burrawang can stay out; in colder areas it must be lifted, brought in, or treated as a frost-tender plant.

What is the minimum temperature burrawang can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about 1 to 5 °C — tolerates cold but no real frost. Burrawang shrugs off cold nights but a real, sustained freeze will kill it.

What hardiness zone is burrawang?

Burrawang is rated USDA 9–11 and RHS H2 — Tender — survives a frost-free greenhouse or a very mild, sheltered spot.

Can burrawang survive winter outside?

It can live outside year-round only in the mildest, most sheltered part of USDA 9–11 or a frost-free UK microclimate. In colder zones, grow it in a pot you can move under cover, or lift its tubers/roots and store them frost-free over winter. A south-facing wall, free-draining soil and a dry winter position can push it a full zone hardier than the books suggest.

How do I protect burrawang from frost?

Mulch the crown or root zone deeply with bark, straw or leaf-mould before the first hard frost. Move container plants against a warm wall or into an unheated but frost-free porch or greenhouse. Fleece the top growth on the coldest nights, and keep it on the dry side — dry roots survive cold far better than wet ones. Lift dahlia-type tubers or tender crowns after the first light frost blackens the foliage and store them somewhere cool but frost-free.