Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Crataegus persimilis 'Prunifolia' (Crataegus persimilis 'Prunifolia')cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Broadleaf Cockspur Hawthorn.

More about crataegus persimilis 'prunifolia'

About Crataegus persimilis 'Prunifolia'

Crataegus persimilis 'Prunifolia' · also called Broadleaf Cockspur Hawthorn · flowering

'Prunifolia' is a robust hawthorn with glossy, broad oval leaves that turn brilliant orange and crimson in autumn, white spring flowers, long-lasting red berries and fierce thorns. Compact and spreading, it gives outstanding multi-season interest and tolerates pollution and exposure, making it a popular small specimen and street tree in temperate gardens.

Cold limit: USDA 4-7 · RHS H6 (-35 to 32°C)

Watch for — Leaf spot and scab: Fungal leaf spot and scab can mark the glossy leaves and cause early defoliation in wet seasons. Clear fallen leaves to reduce overwintering spores; the tree usually recovers without intervention.

What crataegus persimilis 'prunifolia''s hardiness rating actually means

Yes — crataegus persimilis 'prunifolia' is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H6 and USDA 4-7, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. Its RHS rating of H6 means: Hardy throughout the UK and northern Europe. On the US scale that maps to USDA 4-7 — 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 −20 to −15 °C. Crataegus persimilis 'Prunifolia' is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for crataegus persimilis 'prunifolia' as it gets too cold:

It tolerates winter lows to about −20 to −15 °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 crataegus persimilis 'prunifolia' go outside or overwinter — and where?

Plant it out within USDA 4-7 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 crataegus persimilis 'prunifolia' can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H6 figure above.

Crataegus persimilis 'Prunifolia' hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is crataegus persimilis 'prunifolia' cold hardy?

Yes — crataegus persimilis 'prunifolia' is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H6 and USDA 4-7, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Crataegus persimilis 'Prunifolia' is hardy across USDA 4-7; 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 crataegus persimilis 'prunifolia' can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −20 to −15 °C. Crataegus persimilis 'Prunifolia' is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

What hardiness zone is crataegus persimilis 'prunifolia'?

Crataegus persimilis 'Prunifolia' is rated USDA 4-7 and RHS H6 — Hardy throughout the UK and northern Europe.

Can crataegus persimilis 'prunifolia' survive winter outside?

Plant it out within USDA 4-7 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 crataegus persimilis 'prunifolia' below its minimum temperature?

It tolerates winter lows to about −20 to −15 °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.