Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Clytie kohleria (Kohleria 'Clytie')cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Clytie kohleria, Clytie gesneriad.

More about clytie kohleria

About Clytie kohleria

Kohleria 'Clytie' · also called Clytie kohleria, Clytie gesneriad · houseplant

A compact Kohleria hybrid cultivar prized by gesneriad enthusiasts for its hairy, olive-green foliage and vividly patterned tubular flowers typical of the genus. Like all Kohlerias it is rhizomatous, making it more forgiving of missed waterings than most gesneriads. Bright indirect light, moderate humidity, and a winter rest trigger the best flowering.

Cold limit: USDA 10–12 · RHS H1b (15–26°C)

Watch for — Failure to re-shoot after dormancy: Rhizomes that were kept too dry or too cold during winter may fail to sprout. Keep dormant pots at a minimum of 13°C and water sparingly monthly. If rhizomes look firm, repot into fresh mix in early spring to stimulate growth.

What clytie kohleria's hardiness rating actually means

Clytie kohleria 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). Clytie kohleria has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

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

Clytie kohleria hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is clytie kohleria cold hardy?

Clytie kohleria 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. Clytie kohleria 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 clytie kohleria can survive?

What hardiness zone is clytie kohleria?

Clytie kohleria 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 clytie kohleria 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 clytie kohleria 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.