Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Golden Polypody 'Davana' (Phlebodium aureum 'Davana')cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Blue star fern, Davana fern.

More about golden polypody 'davana'

About Golden Polypody 'Davana'

Phlebodium aureum 'Davana' · also called Blue star fern, Davana fern · houseplant

'Davana' is a compact selection of the blue star fern, prized for its powder-blue, hand-shaped fronds and furry golden-brown creeping rhizomes. An epiphytic fern from tropical American rainforests, it tolerates lower humidity and more neglect than most ferns, making it one of the easiest ferns for the home. It grows from a surface-running rhizome rather than a crown.

Cold limit: USDA 9-11 (indoor in most US and UK homes) · RHS H1b (16-24°C)

What golden polypody 'davana''s hardiness rating actually means

Golden Polypody 'Davana' 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 9-11 (indoor in most US and UK homes) — 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). Golden Polypody 'Davana' has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

Concretely, for golden polypody 'davana' 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 golden polypody 'davana' 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 golden polypody 'davana' can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H1b figure above.

Golden Polypody 'Davana' hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is golden polypody 'davana' cold hardy?

Golden Polypody 'Davana' 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. Golden Polypody 'Davana' can only live outside year-round in genuinely frost-free climates (roughly USDA 9-11 (indoor in most US and UK homes)); everywhere else it is a houseplant that summers out at most.

What is the minimum temperature golden polypody 'davana' can survive?

What hardiness zone is golden polypody 'davana'?

Golden Polypody 'Davana' is rated USDA 9-11 (indoor in most US and UK homes) and RHS H1b — Sub-tropical — a normal warm home is fine, but it cannot go outside in a cool season.

Can golden polypody 'davana' 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 golden polypody 'davana' 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.