Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Cardinal climber (Ipomoea x multifida)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Cardinal climber, Hearts and honey vine.

More about cardinal climber

About Cardinal climber

Ipomoea x multifida · also called Cardinal climber, Hearts and honey vine · flowering

Cardinal climber is a fast-growing annual vine — a hybrid of Ipomoea quamoclit and I. coccinea — with finely dissected, feathery foliage and vivid crimson trumpet flowers that are irresistible to hummingbirds. Grow in full sun on a trellis. Performs best in warm summers with consistent moisture. Seeds are toxic; handle with care.

Cold limit: USDA 10-12 · RHS H1b (18–32°C)

Watch for — Slow or failed germination: The hard seed coat inhibits water uptake. Always nick the coat with a nail file or sandpaper and soak seeds in warm water for 24 hours before sowing. Cold soil also delays germination; wait until soil temperatures exceed 18°C (65°F).

What cardinal climber's hardiness rating actually means

Cardinal climber 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 10-12 — 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). Cardinal climber has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

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

Cardinal climber hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is cardinal climber cold hardy?

Cardinal climber 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. Cardinal climber can only live outside year-round in genuinely frost-free climates (roughly USDA 10-12); everywhere else it is a houseplant that summers out at most.

What is the minimum temperature cardinal climber can survive?

What hardiness zone is cardinal climber?

Cardinal climber is rated USDA 10-12 and RHS H1b — Sub-tropical — a normal warm home is fine, but it cannot go outside in a cool season.

Can cardinal climber 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 cardinal climber 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.