Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Climbing Sundew (Drosera macrantha)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Climbing sundew, Bridal rainbow sundew, Large-flowered sundew.

More about climbing sundew

About Climbing Sundew

Drosera macrantha · also called Climbing sundew, Bridal rainbow sundew · flowering

Drosera macrantha is a scrambling to climbing tuberous perennial carnivorous plant endemic to south-western Western Australia, where it grows in winter-wet depressions in sandy, loamy, laterite, or quartzite soils. Its long stems — reaching up to 1.5 m — twine through surrounding vegetation using sticky glandular leaves as makeshift hooks. Like all tuberous sundews it follows a winter-active, summer-dormant lifecycle, and the single most important care rule is completely ceasing irrigation once dormancy begins in late spring. Drosera is not definitively listed by the ASPCA; treat as mildly-toxic for pets.

Cold limit: USDA 9-10 (outdoor in Mediterranean climates only) · RHS H2 (5–25 °C (growing season); dormant tubers tolerate up to 35 °C when dry)

What climbing sundew's hardiness rating actually means

Climbing Sundew 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 9-10 (outdoor in Mediterranean climates only) — 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. Climbing Sundew shrugs off cold nights but a real, sustained freeze will kill it.

Concretely, for climbing sundew 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 climbing sundew go outside or overwinter — and where?

It can live outside year-round only in the mildest, most sheltered part of USDA 9-10 (outdoor in Mediterranean climates only) 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 climbing sundew 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 climbing sundew

Climbing Sundew 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.

Climbing Sundew hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is climbing sundew cold hardy?

Climbing Sundew 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 9-10 (outdoor in Mediterranean climates only) (and sheltered UK gardens) climbing sundew can stay out; in colder areas it must be lifted, brought in, or treated as a frost-tender plant.

What is the minimum temperature climbing sundew can survive?

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

What hardiness zone is climbing sundew?

Climbing Sundew is rated USDA 9-10 (outdoor in Mediterranean climates only) and RHS H2 — Tender — survives a frost-free greenhouse or a very mild, sheltered spot.

Can climbing sundew survive winter outside?

It can live outside year-round only in the mildest, most sheltered part of USDA 9-10 (outdoor in Mediterranean climates only) 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 climbing sundew 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.