Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Creeping Globularia (Globularia repens)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Creeping globularia, Thyme-leaved globe daisy, Creeping globe daisy.

More about creeping globularia

About Creeping Globularia

Globularia repens · also called Creeping globularia, Thyme-leaved globe daisy · flowering

Globularia repens is an extremely low-growing, ground-hugging evergreen perennial native to sun-baked limestone crevices and rocky outcrops in the Pyrenees and Alps, forming tight mats barely 2–3 cm tall. In summer it bears small lavender-blue spherical flowerheads just above a dense carpet of tiny, glossy, spoon-shaped leaves. Its defining care requirement is perfect drainage in alkaline, gritty soil and full sun — it is one of the most intolerant of wet winter conditions among alpine plants. Globularia repens is not listed in the ASPCA database; classified mildly-toxic due to insufficient safety data.

Cold limit: USDA 5-8 · RHS H6 (-25 to 25°C)

Watch for — Crown and root rot: Winter wet is the primary killer. The mat sits so close to the ground that any prolonged soil moisture causes rapid rotting of stems and roots. Essential to grow in a raised position or trough with excellent drainage and a grit topdress.

What creeping globularia's hardiness rating actually means

Yes — creeping globularia is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H6 and USDA 5-8, 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 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 −20 to −15 °C. Creeping Globularia is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for creeping globularia 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 creeping globularia 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 creeping globularia can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H6 figure above.

Creeping Globularia hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is creeping globularia cold hardy?

Yes — creeping globularia is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H6 and USDA 5-8, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Creeping Globularia 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 creeping globularia can survive?

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

What hardiness zone is creeping globularia?

Creeping Globularia is rated USDA 5-8 and RHS H6 — Hardy throughout the UK and northern Europe.

Can creeping globularia 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 creeping globularia 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.