Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Concord Grape (Vitis labrusca 'Concord')cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Concord grape, slip-skin grape.

More about concord grape

About Concord Grape

Vitis labrusca 'Concord' · also called Concord grape, slip-skin grape · edible

Concord is the iconic blue-black American slip-skin grape behind classic juice, jelly, and grape flavour. A vigorous, cold-hardy Vitis labrusca vine reliable to USDA zone 5, it is self-fertile, disease-tolerant, and crops heavily on a sunny trellis. Its musky, foxy flavour and easily slipping skins make it a backyard favourite across cool-summer regions.

Cold limit: USDA 5-8 · RHS H5 (16-29°C)

What concord grape's hardiness rating actually means

Yes — concord grape is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H5 and USDA 5-8, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. Its RHS rating of H5 means: Hardy in most of the UK and in cold winters. On the US scale that maps to USDA 5-8 — 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 −15 to −10 °C. Concord Grape is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for concord grape as it gets too cold:

It tolerates winter lows to about −15 to −10 °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 concord grape go outside or overwinter — and where?

Plant it out within USDA 5-8 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 concord grape can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H5 figure above.

Concord Grape hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is concord grape cold hardy?

Yes — concord grape is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H5 and USDA 5-8, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Concord Grape is hardy across USDA 5-8; 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 concord grape can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −15 to −10 °C. Concord Grape is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

What hardiness zone is concord grape?

Concord Grape is rated USDA 5-8 and RHS H5 — Hardy in most of the UK and in cold winters.

Can concord grape survive winter outside?

Plant it out within USDA 5-8 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 concord grape below its minimum temperature?

It tolerates winter lows to about −15 to −10 °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.