Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Flesh-pink Sinningia (Sinningia incarnata)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Flesh-pink Sinningia, Pink Gloxinia.

More about flesh-pink sinningia

About Flesh-pink Sinningia

Sinningia incarnata · also called Flesh-pink Sinningia, Pink Gloxinia · flowering

Sinningia incarnata is a tuberous gesneriad native to a broad range from southern Mexico through Central America and into South America, making it one of the most widespread species in the genus. It produces softly pink to flesh-coloured tubular flowers on plants that can reach around 80 cm in height. As with all sinningias, the tuber enters dormancy after the main flowering period and watering must be reduced at that stage. The ASPCA lists the Sinningia genus as non-toxic to cats and dogs; this individual species is not separately verified.

Cold limit: USDA 10–12 (indoor in most climates) · RHS H1b (16–26 °C in growth; 10–13 °C acceptable during dormancy)

What flesh-pink sinningia's hardiness rating actually means

Flesh-pink Sinningia 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 (indoor in most climates) — 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). Flesh-pink Sinningia has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

Concretely, for flesh-pink sinningia 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 flesh-pink sinningia 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 flesh-pink sinningia can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H1b figure above.

Flesh-pink Sinningia hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is flesh-pink sinningia cold hardy?

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

What is the minimum temperature flesh-pink sinningia can survive?

What hardiness zone is flesh-pink sinningia?

Flesh-pink Sinningia is rated USDA 10–12 (indoor in most climates) and RHS H1b — Sub-tropical — a normal warm home is fine, but it cannot go outside in a cool season.

Can flesh-pink sinningia 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 flesh-pink sinningia 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.