Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Gasteria Rawlinsonii (Gasteria rawlinsonii)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Cliff gasteria, Rawlinson's gasteria.

More about gasteria rawlinsonii

About Gasteria Rawlinsonii

Gasteria rawlinsonii · also called Cliff gasteria, Rawlinson's gasteria · houseplant

Gasteria rawlinsonii is an unusual cliff-dwelling succulent with long, recurved, rough-textured leaves arranged in two ranks that can trail or arch as they lengthen. It grows slowly, tolerates lower light, and needs gritty soil with sparing water. One of the more pendulous gasterias, and non-toxic to cats and dogs per the ASPCA.

Cold limit: USDA 10-11 (indoor in most US homes) · RHS H1c (15-27°C)

What gasteria rawlinsonii's hardiness rating actually means

Gasteria Rawlinsonii 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 H1c means: Warm-temperate — can summer outdoors but must come in well before the first frost. On the US scale that maps to USDA 10-11 (indoor in most US 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 5 °C (and never frost). Gasteria Rawlinsonii has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

Concretely, for gasteria rawlinsonii as it gets too cold:

Below about about 5 °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 gasteria rawlinsonii go outside or overwinter — and where?

It can holiday outdoors in summer once nights are reliably above 5 °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 gasteria rawlinsonii can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H1c figure above.

Gasteria Rawlinsonii hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is gasteria rawlinsonii cold hardy?

Gasteria Rawlinsonii 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. Gasteria Rawlinsonii can only live outside year-round in genuinely frost-free climates (roughly USDA 10-11 (indoor in most US homes)); everywhere else it is a houseplant that summers out at most.

What is the minimum temperature gasteria rawlinsonii can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about 5 °C (and never frost). Gasteria Rawlinsonii has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

What hardiness zone is gasteria rawlinsonii?

Gasteria Rawlinsonii is rated USDA 10-11 (indoor in most US homes) and RHS H1c — Warm-temperate — can summer outdoors but must come in well before the first frost.

Can gasteria rawlinsonii survive winter outside?

It can holiday outdoors in summer once nights are reliably above 5 °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 gasteria rawlinsonii below its minimum temperature?

Below about about 5 °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.