Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Corsican Mint (Mentha requienii)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Creeping Mint.

More about corsican mint

About Corsican Mint

Mentha requienii · also called Creeping Mint · herb

Corsican Mint is a tiny, ground-hugging mint with minute bright-green leaves and an intense peppermint scent released when stepped on, prized as a fragrant lawn substitute and between pavers. Unlike its tall cousins it forms a flat creeping carpet, needs moist soil and shelter, and is less cold-hardy, often grown as a short-lived perennial or annual.

Cold limit: USDA 6-9 (often short-lived; grown as annual in cold zones) · RHS H4 (10-22°C)

Watch for — Winter loss: Less hardy than other mints and prone to dying in cold, wet winters. Mulch lightly, improve drainage, or overwinter divisions under cover.

What corsican mint's hardiness rating actually means

Yes — corsican mint is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H4 and USDA 6-9 (often short-lived; grown as annual in cold zones), it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. Its RHS rating of H4 means: Hardy in an average winter across much of the temperate world. On the US scale that maps to USDA 6-9 (often short-lived; grown as annual in cold zones) — 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 to −5 °C. Corsican Mint is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for corsican mint as it gets too cold:

It tolerates winter lows to about −10 to −5 °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 corsican mint go outside or overwinter — and where?

Plant it out within USDA 6-9 (often short-lived; grown as annual in cold zones) 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 corsican mint can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H4 figure above.

Corsican Mint hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is corsican mint cold hardy?

Yes — corsican mint is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H4 and USDA 6-9 (often short-lived; grown as annual in cold zones), it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Corsican Mint is hardy across USDA 6-9 (often short-lived; grown as annual in cold zones); 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 corsican mint can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −10 to −5 °C. Corsican Mint is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

What hardiness zone is corsican mint?

Corsican Mint is rated USDA 6-9 (often short-lived; grown as annual in cold zones) and RHS H4 — Hardy in an average winter across much of the temperate world.

Can corsican mint survive winter outside?

Plant it out within USDA 6-9 (often short-lived; grown as annual in cold zones) 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 corsican mint below its minimum temperature?

It tolerates winter lows to about −10 to −5 °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.