Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Chinese Angelica (Angelica sinensis)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Chinese Angelica, Dong Quai, Dang Gui, Female Ginseng.

More about chinese angelica

About Chinese Angelica

Angelica sinensis · also called Chinese Angelica, Dong Quai · herb

Chinese Angelica (dong quai) is a prized traditional Chinese medicinal herb cultivated for its aromatic root, widely used in TCM for over 2,000 years. It produces large, compound leaves and white umbrella-like flower clusters. Best in cool, moist, partially shaded conditions. Monocarpic — plants die after flowering, so roots are harvested before the plant bolts.

Cold limit: USDA 5–9 · RHS H6 (-20°C to 25°C)

What chinese angelica's hardiness rating actually means

Yes — chinese angelica is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H6 and USDA 5–9, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. Its RHS rating of H6 means: Hardy throughout the UK and northern Europe. On the US scale that maps to USDA 5–9 — 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 −20 to −15 °C. Chinese Angelica is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for chinese angelica as it gets too cold:

It tolerates winter lows to about −20 to −15 °C once established.
Below its rated zone, the visible damage is browned or blackened top growth and, in the worst case, a killed crown or root.
First-year, newly planted, or container-grown specimens are noticeably less hardy than established garden plants — the roots are exposed.

Can chinese angelica go outside or overwinter — and where?

Plant it out within USDA 5–9 and it overwinters with little or no help.
It does not want to come indoors — a warm winter room actually weakens a hardy plant by denying it dormancy.
The real risks in its range are waterlogging, wind-rock on young plants, and a late hard frost on new growth — not ordinary winter cold.

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 chinese angelica can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H6 figure above.

Chinese Angelica hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is chinese angelica cold hardy?

Yes — chinese angelica is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H6 and USDA 5–9, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Chinese Angelica is hardy across USDA 5–9; it belongs in the ground or a frost-proof container, not on a windowsill, and many types actively need a cold winter to perform.

What is the minimum temperature chinese angelica can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −20 to −15 °C. Chinese Angelica is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

What hardiness zone is chinese angelica?

Chinese Angelica is rated USDA 5–9 and RHS H6 — Hardy throughout the UK and northern Europe.

Can chinese angelica survive winter outside?

Plant it out within USDA 5–9 and it overwinters with little or no help. It does not want to come indoors — a warm winter room actually weakens a hardy plant by denying it dormancy. The real risks in its range are waterlogging, wind-rock on young plants, and a late hard frost on new growth — not ordinary winter cold.

What happens to chinese angelica below its minimum temperature?

It tolerates winter lows to about −20 to −15 °C once established. Below its rated zone, the visible damage is browned or blackened top growth and, in the worst case, a killed crown or root. First-year, newly planted, or container-grown specimens are noticeably less hardy than established garden plants — the roots are exposed.