Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Cylindrical Snake Plant (Dracaena angolensis)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Cylindrical snake plant, African spear plant, Spear sansevieria, Cylindrical mother-in-law's tongue, Sansevieria cylindrica (syn.).

More about cylindrical snake plant

About Cylindrical Snake Plant

Dracaena angolensis · also called Cylindrical snake plant, African spear plant · houseplant

The cylindrical snake plant (Dracaena angolensis, formerly Sansevieria cylindrica) is a hardy succulent with stiff, round, spear-like leaves. It thrives on neglect: bright indirect light, infrequent watering, and fast-draining soil. The ASPCA lists snake plants as toxic to cats and dogs due to saponins, so keep it away from curious pets.

Cold limit: USDA USDA zones 10-12 outdoors; grown as a houseplant elsewhere. Move indoors before temperatures drop below 55 F (13 C). (18-27 C)

Watch for — Soft, mushy or toppling leaves: Often a result of cold damage (exposure below ~55 F / 13 C) or rot. Move away from cold windows and drafts and trim away any affected, rotted tissue.

What cylindrical snake plant's hardiness rating actually means

Cylindrical Snake Plant is not cold hardy. It is a tropical houseplant that dies if it is left out through frost — there is no zone where it overwinters outdoors in a UK or cold-US climate. Its RHS rating of H1c means: Warm-temperate — can summer outdoors but must come in well before the first frost. On the US scale that maps to USDA USDA zones 10-12 outdoors; grown as a houseplant elsewhere. Move indoors before temperatures drop below 55 F (13 C). — 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 5 °C (and never frost). Cylindrical Snake Plant has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

Concretely, for cylindrical snake plant as it gets too cold:

Below about about 5 °C, growth stalls and the leaves start to show cold stress — dark, water-soaked, or yellowing patches.
A single light frost blackens the foliage; a hard freeze kills the whole plant, roots included, and it does not recover.
Even a cold, draughty windowsill or an unheated porch in winter can be enough to damage it permanently.

Can cylindrical snake plant go outside or overwinter — and where?

It can holiday outdoors in summer once nights are reliably above 5 °C, in shade or dappled light, hardened off gradually.
Bring it back indoors well before the first autumn frost — do not wait for a frost warning, move it when nights drop toward 10-12 °C.
It will never overwinter outside in a temperate climate; the indoors is its winter home, full stop.

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 cylindrical snake plant can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H1c figure above.

Cylindrical Snake Plant hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is cylindrical snake plant cold hardy?

Cylindrical Snake Plant is not cold hardy. It is a tropical houseplant that dies if it is left out through frost — there is no zone where it overwinters outdoors in a UK or cold-US climate. Indoor-only in almost every home. Cylindrical Snake Plant can only live outside year-round in genuinely frost-free climates (roughly USDA USDA zones 10-12 outdoors; grown as a houseplant elsewhere. Move indoors before temperatures drop below 55 F (13 C).); everywhere else it is a houseplant that summers out at most.

What is the minimum temperature cylindrical snake plant can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about 5 °C (and never frost). Cylindrical Snake Plant has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

What hardiness zone is cylindrical snake plant?

Cylindrical Snake Plant is rated USDA USDA zones 10-12 outdoors; grown as a houseplant elsewhere. Move indoors before temperatures drop below 55 F (13 C). and RHS H1c — Warm-temperate — can summer outdoors but must come in well before the first frost.

Can cylindrical snake plant survive winter outside?

It can holiday outdoors in summer once nights are reliably above 5 °C, in shade or dappled light, hardened off gradually. Bring it back indoors well before the first autumn frost — do not wait for a frost warning, move it when nights drop toward 10-12 °C. It will never overwinter outside in a temperate climate; the indoors is its winter home, full stop.

What happens to cylindrical snake plant below its minimum temperature?

Below about about 5 °C, growth stalls and the leaves start to show cold stress — dark, water-soaked, or yellowing patches. A single light frost blackens the foliage; a hard freeze kills the whole plant, roots included, and it does not recover. Even a cold, draughty windowsill or an unheated porch in winter can be enough to damage it permanently.