Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Crassula Capitella (Crassula capitella)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called red pagoda, campfire plant, sharks tooth.

More about crassula capitella

About Crassula Capitella

Crassula capitella · also called red pagoda, campfire plant · houseplant

Crassula capitella, the red pagoda or campfire plant, is a low South African succulent whose stacked, propeller-like leaves blaze from lime-green to fiery red in strong sun. It spreads into a fleshy mat, needs gritty fast-draining soil and minimal water, and bears spikes of small white flowers. Heat- and drought-tolerant, but toxic to pets.

Cold limit: USDA 9-11 (indoor where frost occurs) · RHS H2 (15-24°C)

Watch for — Overwatering and rot: The shallow roots and stems rot fast in wet soil. Let the gritty mix dry completely between waterings and reduce water in winter.

What crassula capitella's hardiness rating actually means

Crassula Capitella 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 9-11 (indoor where frost occurs) — 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. Crassula Capitella shrugs off cold nights but a real, sustained freeze will kill it.

Concretely, for crassula capitella 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 crassula capitella go outside or overwinter — and where?

It can live outside year-round only in the mildest, most sheltered part of USDA 9-11 (indoor where frost occurs) 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 crassula capitella 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 crassula capitella

Crassula Capitella 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.

Crassula Capitella hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is crassula capitella cold hardy?

Crassula Capitella 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 9-11 (indoor where frost occurs) (and sheltered UK gardens) crassula capitella can stay out; in colder areas it must be lifted, brought in, or treated as a frost-tender plant.

What is the minimum temperature crassula capitella can survive?

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

What hardiness zone is crassula capitella?

Crassula Capitella is rated USDA 9-11 (indoor where frost occurs) and RHS H2 — Tender — survives a frost-free greenhouse or a very mild, sheltered spot.

Can crassula capitella survive winter outside?

It can live outside year-round only in the mildest, most sheltered part of USDA 9-11 (indoor where frost occurs) 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 crassula capitella 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.