Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Dwarf French Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris 'Safari')cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Safari bean, dwarf French bean, bush bean.

More about dwarf french bean

About Dwarf French Bean

Phaseolus vulgaris 'Safari' · also called Safari bean, dwarf French bean · edible

'Safari' is a compact dwarf French bean producing slender, dark green, stringless filet pods on bushy plants that need no support. A frost-tender annual, it crops quickly and is ideal for small beds, rows and containers. Successional sowings every few weeks give a long supply of fine, tender beans through summer.

Cold limit: USDA 2-11 (warm-season annual) · RHS H2 (16-30°C)

What dwarf french bean's hardiness rating actually means

Hardiness works differently for dwarf french bean: it is grown as a seasonal crop, not overwintered. The question is not "what zone" but "how long is your frost-free growing window". Its RHS rating of H2 means: Tender — survives a frost-free greenhouse or a very mild, sheltered spot. On the US scale that maps to USDA 2-11 (warm-season annual) — 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

As an annual crop, its "minimum temperature" is the first hard frost — that is the end of the plant's life, not a survivable low. Many types are also damaged by light frost (around 0 °C).

Concretely, for dwarf french bean as it gets too cold:

Light frost (around 0 to −2 °C) damages or kills tender summer crops outright; cold-hardy types take a few degrees of frost.
The plant does not "survive winter" — its life cycle simply ends, by design, when frost arrives or it finishes cropping.
A surprise late spring frost can also kill young transplants set out too early, before the season even starts.

Can dwarf french bean go outside or overwinter — and where?

Time it to your frost dates: sow or plant out after the last spring frost, and aim to harvest before the first autumn frost.
In short-season zones, start it indoors or under cover to stretch the effective growing window.
Hardier crops in this group can be sown for an autumn or overwintered harvest in mild zones — check the specific crop.

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 dwarf french bean can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H2 figure above.

Frost protection for borderline dwarf french bean

Dwarf French Bean is right on a hardiness edge in many gardens, so if you are pushing it, these measures buy it the margin it needs:

Use fleece, cloches or a cold frame at each end of the season to dodge a borderline frost and add growing weeks.
Have row cover ready for an unexpected late spring or early autumn frost.
Know your local last- and first-frost dates and count back the crop’s days-to-maturity to schedule the sowing.

Dwarf French Bean hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is dwarf french bean cold hardy?

Hardiness works differently for dwarf french bean: it is grown as a seasonal crop, not overwintered. The question is not "what zone" but "how long is your frost-free growing window". A seasonal crop, not a perennial. Dwarf French Bean is grown 2-11 (warm-season annual); you sow after the last frost and harvest before the first one, then start again next year.

What is the minimum temperature dwarf french bean can survive?

As an annual crop, its "minimum temperature" is the first hard frost — that is the end of the plant's life, not a survivable low. Many types are also damaged by light frost (around 0 °C).

What hardiness zone is dwarf french bean?

Dwarf French Bean is rated USDA 2-11 (warm-season annual) and RHS H2 — Tender — survives a frost-free greenhouse or a very mild, sheltered spot.

Can dwarf french bean survive winter outside?

Time it to your frost dates: sow or plant out after the last spring frost, and aim to harvest before the first autumn frost. In short-season zones, start it indoors or under cover to stretch the effective growing window. Hardier crops in this group can be sown for an autumn or overwintered harvest in mild zones — check the specific crop.

How do I protect dwarf french bean from frost?

Use fleece, cloches or a cold frame at each end of the season to dodge a borderline frost and add growing weeks. Have row cover ready for an unexpected late spring or early autumn frost. Know your local last- and first-frost dates and count back the crop’s days-to-maturity to schedule the sowing.