Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Creeping Savory (Satureja spicigera)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Creeping Savory, Prostrate Savory, Caucasian Savory.

More about creeping savory

About Creeping Savory

Satureja spicigera · also called Creeping Savory, Prostrate Savory · herb

Creeping Savory is a low-growing, mat-forming perennial herb from the Caucasus, producing masses of small, intensely aromatic leaves used similarly to summer savory. Its sprawling stems create a fragrant ground cover, smothering weeds and spilling attractively over walls or container edges. Thrives in full sun and sharply drained, lean soil.

Cold limit: USDA 6-10 · RHS H5 (-15 to 35°C)

Watch for — Root rot in wet winters: The primary threat to overwintering plants. Prolonged wet, cold soil causes stem bases to rot. Improve drainage before winter by working in extra grit; in cold, rainy climates consider covering with a cloche or growing in a well-drained container that can be moved under cover.

What creeping savory's hardiness rating actually means

Yes — creeping savory is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H5 and USDA 6-10, 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 6-10 — 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. Creeping Savory is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for creeping savory 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 creeping savory go outside or overwinter — and where?

Plant it out within USDA 6-10 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 savory can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H5 figure above.

Creeping Savory hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is creeping savory cold hardy?

Yes — creeping savory is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H5 and USDA 6-10, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Creeping Savory is hardy across USDA 6-10; 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 savory can survive?

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

What hardiness zone is creeping savory?

Creeping Savory is rated USDA 6-10 and RHS H5 — Hardy in most of the UK and in cold winters.

Can creeping savory survive winter outside?

Plant it out within USDA 6-10 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 savory 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.