Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Gattefosse's Mint (Mentha gattefossei)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Gattefosse's Mint, Moroccan Mint.

More about gattefosse's mint

About Gattefosse's Mint

Mentha gattefossei · also called Gattefosse's Mint, Moroccan Mint · herb

Gattefosse's Mint is a rare Moroccan native prized for its intensely aromatic leaves with a cool, fresh menthol scent. It thrives in full sun with consistently moist, fertile soil. Drought-sensitive but vigorous once established, it spreads by runners and suits containers or herb borders where moisture can be maintained.

Cold limit: USDA 7–10 · RHS H4 (5–25°C)

What gattefosse's mint's hardiness rating actually means

Yes — gattefosse's mint is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H4 and USDA 7–10, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. Its RHS rating of H4 means: Hardy in an average winter across much of the temperate world. On the US scale that maps to USDA 7–10 — 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 to −5 °C. Gattefosse's Mint is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for gattefosse's mint as it gets too cold:

It tolerates winter lows to about −10 to −5 °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 gattefosse's mint go outside or overwinter — and where?

Plant it out within USDA 7–10 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 gattefosse's mint can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H4 figure above.

Gattefosse's Mint hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is gattefosse's mint cold hardy?

Yes — gattefosse's mint is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H4 and USDA 7–10, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Gattefosse's Mint is hardy across USDA 7–10; 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 gattefosse's mint can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −10 to −5 °C. Gattefosse's Mint is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

What hardiness zone is gattefosse's mint?

Gattefosse's Mint is rated USDA 7–10 and RHS H4 — Hardy in an average winter across much of the temperate world.

Can gattefosse's mint survive winter outside?

Plant it out within USDA 7–10 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 gattefosse's mint below its minimum temperature?

It tolerates winter lows to about −10 to −5 °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.