Cold hardiness & minimum temperature
Is Cissus Discolor (Cissus discolor)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp
Also called Rex Begonia Vine, Tapestry Vine.
More about cissus discolor
About Cissus Discolor
Cissus discolor · also called Rex Begonia Vine, Tapestry Vine · tropical
Cissus discolor is a showy tropical climber with heart-shaped leaves patterned in deep green, silver, and burgundy, with wine-red undersides, climbing by tendrils. Despite its 'Rex Begonia Vine' nickname it is a true grape relative, not a begonia. It demands warmth and humidity but rewards with stunning foliage, and it is pet-safe.
Cold limit: USDA 10-12 (indoor in most US homes) · RHS H1b (18-29°C)
Watch for — Leaf drop / dieback: Triggered by low humidity, cold, or drying out, and is also natural seasonal dormancy. Keep warm and humid; a dormant plant may regrow from its tuber in spring.
What cissus discolor's hardiness rating actually means
Cissus Discolor 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 (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). Cissus Discolor has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.
Concretely, for cissus discolor 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 cissus discolor 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 cissus discolor can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H1b figure above.
Cissus Discolor hardiness — frequently asked questions
Is cissus discolor cold hardy?
Cissus Discolor 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. Cissus Discolor can only live outside year-round in genuinely frost-free climates (roughly USDA 10-12 (indoor in most US homes)); everywhere else it is a houseplant that summers out at most.
What is the minimum temperature cissus discolor can survive?
Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about 10 °C (sustained cold below this is damaging). Cissus Discolor has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.
What hardiness zone is cissus discolor?
Cissus Discolor is rated USDA 10-12 (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 cissus discolor 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 cissus discolor 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.
Keep reading
- Cissus Discolor care — the full brief (light, water, soil, problems, pet safety)
- USDA hardiness zones — find yours and what grows there
- Is cissus discolor hardy in the UK? — the RHS-rating version
- RHS hardiness ratings — the UK system explained
- Frost-date calculator — your real outdoor window
- The USDA hardiness zone map, explained
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- Is pothos cold hardy?
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- All 1284plant hardiness & min-temp guides