Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Felty Germander (Teucrium polium)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Felty Germander, Silver Germander, Greek Germander, Rock Germander.

More about felty germander

About Felty Germander

Teucrium polium · also called Felty Germander, Silver Germander · herb

Teucrium polium is a compact, silvery-grey subshrub native to dry, rocky, often calcareous habitats throughout the Mediterranean basin and into the Middle East, where it has a long history of medicinal use. Its intensely woolly, tomentose stems and leaves give it a distinctive silvery-white appearance; small white to lavender flowers appear in dense terminal clusters from mid-summer into autumn. Full sun and impeccably drained, alkaline soil are mandatory — it is among the most drought-tolerant germanders. The plant is mildly toxic; hepatotoxic diterpenes documented in the genus make ingestion by pets or people inadvisable.

Cold limit: USDA 6-9 · RHS H5 (-15 to 30°C)

Watch for — Root and crown rot: Winter wet is the primary cause of plant death; this species absolutely requires perfect drainage and often benefits from being grown in a raised scree bed or alpine house in wetter UK climates.

What felty germander's hardiness rating actually means

Yes — felty germander is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H5 and USDA 6-9, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. Its RHS rating of H5 means: Hardy in most of the UK and in cold winters. On the US scale that maps to USDA 6-9 — 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 −15 to −10 °C. Felty Germander is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for felty germander as it gets too cold:

It tolerates winter lows to about −15 to −10 °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 felty germander go outside or overwinter — and where?

Plant it out within USDA 6-9 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 felty germander can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H5 figure above.

Felty Germander hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is felty germander cold hardy?

Yes — felty germander is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H5 and USDA 6-9, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Felty Germander is hardy across USDA 6-9; 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 felty germander can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −15 to −10 °C. Felty Germander is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

What hardiness zone is felty germander?

Felty Germander is rated USDA 6-9 and RHS H5 — Hardy in most of the UK and in cold winters.

Can felty germander survive winter outside?

Plant it out within USDA 6-9 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 felty germander below its minimum temperature?

It tolerates winter lows to about −15 to −10 °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.