Cold hardiness & minimum temperature
Is Daphne x burkwoodii 'Carol Mackie' (Daphne x burkwoodii 'Carol Mackie')cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp
Also called Carol Mackie daphne, Burkwood daphne Carol Mackie.
More about daphne x burkwoodii 'carol mackie'
About Daphne x burkwoodii 'Carol Mackie'
Daphne x burkwoodii 'Carol Mackie' · also called Carol Mackie daphne, Burkwood daphne Carol Mackie · flowering
'Carol Mackie' is a semi-evergreen Burkwood daphne hybrid with small green leaves neatly edged in creamy gold, giving year-round interest. In late spring it produces masses of fragrant pale-pink flowers, often with a lighter autumn rebloom. More tolerant and reliable than many daphnes, it still demands sharp drainage. All parts are toxic to pets and people.
Cold limit: USDA 4-8 · RHS H6 (-29 to 27°C)
What daphne x burkwoodii 'carol mackie''s hardiness rating actually means
Yes — daphne x burkwoodii 'carol mackie' is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H6 and USDA 4-8, 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 4-8 — 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. Daphne x burkwoodii 'Carol Mackie' is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.
Concretely, for daphne x burkwoodii 'carol mackie' 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 daphne x burkwoodii 'carol mackie' go outside or overwinter — and where?
- Plant it out within USDA 4-8 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 daphne x burkwoodii 'carol mackie' can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H6 figure above.
Daphne x burkwoodii 'Carol Mackie' hardiness — frequently asked questions
Is daphne x burkwoodii 'carol mackie' cold hardy?
Yes — daphne x burkwoodii 'carol mackie' is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H6 and USDA 4-8, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Daphne x burkwoodii 'Carol Mackie' is hardy across USDA 4-8; 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 daphne x burkwoodii 'carol mackie' can survive?
Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −20 to −15 °C. Daphne x burkwoodii 'Carol Mackie' is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.
What hardiness zone is daphne x burkwoodii 'carol mackie'?
Daphne x burkwoodii 'Carol Mackie' is rated USDA 4-8 and RHS H6 — Hardy throughout the UK and northern Europe.
Can daphne x burkwoodii 'carol mackie' survive winter outside?
Plant it out within USDA 4-8 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 daphne x burkwoodii 'carol mackie' 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.
Keep reading
- Daphne x burkwoodii 'Carol Mackie' care — the full brief (light, water, soil, problems, pet safety)
- USDA hardiness zones — find yours and what grows there
- Is daphne x burkwoodii 'carol mackie' hardy in the UK? — the RHS-rating version
- RHS hardiness ratings — the UK system explained
- Frost-date calculator — your real outdoor window
- The USDA hardiness zone map, explained
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