Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Cyprus Cedar (Cedrus brevifolia)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Cyprus Cedar, Cedar of Cyprus.

More about cyprus cedar

About Cyprus Cedar

Cedrus brevifolia · also called Cyprus Cedar, Cedar of Cyprus · flowering

Cyprus Cedar is a rare, slow-growing conifer endemic to the Troödos Mountains of Cyprus. It bears the shortest needles of any true cedar, arranged in spirals on long shoots and dense whorls on spurs. It thrives in full sun and well-drained, neutral to slightly acidic soil, tolerating drought once established. An outstanding specimen tree or bonsai subject.

Cold limit: USDA 6-9 · RHS H5 (-20°C to 35°C)

What cyprus cedar's hardiness rating actually means

Yes — cyprus cedar is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H5 and USDA 6-9, 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 6-9 — 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. Cyprus Cedar is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for cyprus cedar 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 cyprus cedar go outside or overwinter — and where?

Plant it out within USDA 6-9 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 cyprus cedar can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H5 figure above.

Cyprus Cedar hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is cyprus cedar cold hardy?

Yes — cyprus cedar is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H5 and USDA 6-9, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Cyprus Cedar is hardy across USDA 6-9; 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 cyprus cedar can survive?

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

What hardiness zone is cyprus cedar?

Cyprus Cedar is rated USDA 6-9 and RHS H5 — Hardy in most of the UK and in cold winters.

Can cyprus cedar survive winter outside?

Plant it out within USDA 6-9 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 cyprus cedar 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.