Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Cretan Brake Fern (Pteris cretica 'Albolineata')cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Variegated table fern, Silver ribbon fern, Striped Cretan brake fern, Variegated Cretan brake fern, Ribbon fern.

More about cretan brake fern

About Cretan Brake Fern

Pteris cretica 'Albolineata' · also called Variegated table fern, Silver ribbon fern · houseplant

The Cretan brake fern is a compact, easy-going houseplant fern grown for its arching fronds striped with creamy-white variegation. Give it bright indirect light or shade, consistently moist soil, and humidity above 40%. An RHS Award of Garden Merit winner. ASPCA lists the genus (Pteris sp., Silver Table Fern) as non-toxic to cats and dogs.

Cold limit: USDA 9-11 (frost-tender; grown as a houseplant in cooler climates) (16-24°C (keep above 10°C))

What cretan brake fern's hardiness rating actually means

Cretan Brake Fern 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 (frost-tender; grown as a houseplant in cooler climates) — 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. Cretan Brake Fern shrugs off cold nights but a real, sustained freeze will kill it.

Concretely, for cretan brake fern 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 cretan brake fern go outside or overwinter — and where?

It can live outside year-round only in the mildest, most sheltered part of USDA 9-11 (frost-tender; grown as a houseplant in cooler climates) 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 cretan brake fern 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 cretan brake fern

Cretan Brake Fern 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.

Cretan Brake Fern hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is cretan brake fern cold hardy?

Cretan Brake Fern 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 (frost-tender; grown as a houseplant in cooler climates) (and sheltered UK gardens) cretan brake fern can stay out; in colder areas it must be lifted, brought in, or treated as a frost-tender plant.

What is the minimum temperature cretan brake fern can survive?

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

What hardiness zone is cretan brake fern?

Cretan Brake Fern is rated USDA 9-11 (frost-tender; grown as a houseplant in cooler climates) and RHS H2 — Tender — survives a frost-free greenhouse or a very mild, sheltered spot.

Can cretan brake fern survive winter outside?

It can live outside year-round only in the mildest, most sheltered part of USDA 9-11 (frost-tender; grown as a houseplant in cooler climates) 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 cretan brake fern 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.