Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Caladium 'Fannie Munson' (Caladium 'Fannie Munson')cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Fannie Munson caladium, pink fancy-leaf caladium.

More about caladium 'fannie munson'

About Caladium 'Fannie Munson'

Caladium 'Fannie Munson' · also called Fannie Munson caladium, pink fancy-leaf caladium · houseplant

Caladium 'Fannie Munson' is a fancy-leaf caladium with large pink heart-shaped leaves veined deep red and edged green. This tender tuberous tropical loves warmth, humidity and bright indirect light. It grows from spring through summer, then drops its leaves for a dry winter dormancy. Stunning in shaded containers and bedding, reaching around 45-60 cm.

Cold limit: USDA 9-11 (grown as a tender summer tuber or houseplant elsewhere) · RHS H1b (21-29°C)

Watch for — Early dormancy or leaf drop: Cold temperatures below about 18°C or drying out trigger premature dieback. Keep warm and evenly watered to extend the growing season.

What caladium 'fannie munson''s hardiness rating actually means

Caladium 'Fannie Munson' 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 9-11 (grown as a tender summer tuber or houseplant 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). Caladium 'Fannie Munson' has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

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

Caladium 'Fannie Munson' hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is caladium 'fannie munson' cold hardy?

Caladium 'Fannie Munson' 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. Caladium 'Fannie Munson' can only live outside year-round in genuinely frost-free climates (roughly USDA 9-11 (grown as a tender summer tuber or houseplant elsewhere)); everywhere else it is a houseplant that summers out at most.

What is the minimum temperature caladium 'fannie munson' can survive?

What hardiness zone is caladium 'fannie munson'?

Caladium 'Fannie Munson' is rated USDA 9-11 (grown as a tender summer tuber or houseplant elsewhere) and RHS H1b — Sub-tropical — a normal warm home is fine, but it cannot go outside in a cool season.

Can caladium 'fannie munson' 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 caladium 'fannie munson' 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.