Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Empire Scarlet Star (Guzmania lingulata 'Empire')cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Empire Scarlet Star, Empire Guzmania, Scarlet Star Bromeliad.

More about empire scarlet star

About Empire Scarlet Star

Guzmania lingulata 'Empire' · also called Empire Scarlet Star, Empire Guzmania · tropical

Guzmania lingulata 'Empire' is a cultivar of the Scarlet Star bromeliad prized for its vivid scarlet bract head held above a rosette of glossy, strap-shaped leaves. A monocarpic epiphyte from Central and South American rainforests, it thrives indoors in medium to bright indirect light with water held in its central urn. Long-lasting bracts and easy care make it a popular houseplant.

Cold limit: USDA 10-12 · RHS H1a (15–27°C)

What empire scarlet star's hardiness rating actually means

Empire Scarlet Star 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 H1a means: Tropical — needs a heated room or greenhouse; no frost tolerance whatsoever. 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 above about 15 °C (warm, never cold). Empire Scarlet Star has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

Concretely, for empire scarlet star as it gets too cold:

Below about above about 15 °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 empire scarlet star go outside or overwinter — and where?

It can holiday outdoors in summer once nights are reliably above above 15 °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 empire scarlet star can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H1a figure above.

Empire Scarlet Star hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is empire scarlet star cold hardy?

Empire Scarlet Star 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. Empire Scarlet Star 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 empire scarlet star can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly above about 15 °C (warm, never cold). Empire Scarlet Star has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

What hardiness zone is empire scarlet star?

Empire Scarlet Star is rated USDA 10-12 and RHS H1a — Tropical — needs a heated room or greenhouse; no frost tolerance whatsoever.

Can empire scarlet star survive winter outside?

It can holiday outdoors in summer once nights are reliably above above 15 °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 empire scarlet star below its minimum temperature?

Below about above about 15 °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.