Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is dark form scindapsus (Scindapsus treubii)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called dark form scindapsus, Treubii dark form, sterling silver pothos (misapplied).

More about dark form scindapsus

About dark form scindapsus

Scindapsus treubii · also called dark form scindapsus, Treubii dark form · houseplant

Scindapsus treubii 'Dark Form' is a slow-growing, collector-grade aroid from Southeast Asia prized for its remarkably deep, near-black glossy foliage. It performs well in bright indirect light with allow-to-dry-slightly watering cadence, moderate humidity, and well-draining aroid mix. An excellent shingle vine when given a moss pole or plank.

Cold limit: USDA 10–12 · RHS H1b (18–30°C)

What dark form scindapsus's hardiness rating actually means

dark form scindapsus 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 H1b means: Sub-tropical — a normal warm home is fine, but it cannot go outside in a cool season. On the US scale that maps to USDA 10–12 — 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 10 °C (sustained cold below this is damaging). dark form scindapsus has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

Concretely, for dark form scindapsus as it gets too cold:

Below about about 10 °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 dark form scindapsus go outside or overwinter — and where?

It can holiday outdoors in summer once nights are reliably above 10 °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 dark form scindapsus can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H1b figure above.

dark form scindapsus hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is dark form scindapsus cold hardy?

dark form scindapsus 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. dark form scindapsus can only live outside year-round in genuinely frost-free climates (roughly USDA 10–12); everywhere else it is a houseplant that summers out at most.

What is the minimum temperature dark form scindapsus can survive?

What hardiness zone is dark form scindapsus?

dark form scindapsus is rated USDA 10–12 and RHS H1b — Sub-tropical — a normal warm home is fine, but it cannot go outside in a cool season.

Can dark form scindapsus survive winter outside?

It can holiday outdoors in summer once nights are reliably above 10 °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 dark form scindapsus below its minimum temperature?

Below about about 10 °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.