Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Gaura 'Siskiyou Pink' (Oenothera lindheimeri)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Siskiyou Pink Gaura, Pink Bee Blossom, Pink Gaura, Lindheimer's Beeblossom.

More about gaura 'siskiyou pink'

About Gaura 'Siskiyou Pink'

Oenothera lindheimeri · also called Siskiyou Pink Gaura, Pink Bee Blossom · flowering

A graceful perennial selection of Gaura distinguished by its rich deep-pink flowers — the deepest pink of the commonly grown forms — held on slender, wiry stems above burgundy-tinged foliage from late spring to frost. Airy and romantic in appearance, it blends beautifully with grasses and other prairie-style plants. Drought-tolerant and long-blooming. Not listed as toxic by ASPCA.

Cold limit: USDA 5-9 · RHS H5 (-15 to 40°C)

Watch for — Crown rot: As with all Gaura, the number one failure point in winter-wet or heavy soils. Sharply drained soil and avoiding mulch over the crown in winter are essential.

What gaura 'siskiyou pink''s hardiness rating actually means

Yes — gaura 'siskiyou pink' is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H5 and USDA 5-9, 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 5-9 — 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. Gaura 'Siskiyou Pink' is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for gaura 'siskiyou pink' 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 gaura 'siskiyou pink' go outside or overwinter — and where?

Plant it out within USDA 5-9 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 gaura 'siskiyou pink' can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H5 figure above.

Gaura 'Siskiyou Pink' hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is gaura 'siskiyou pink' cold hardy?

Yes — gaura 'siskiyou pink' is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H5 and USDA 5-9, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Gaura 'Siskiyou Pink' is hardy across USDA 5-9; 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 gaura 'siskiyou pink' can survive?

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

What hardiness zone is gaura 'siskiyou pink'?

Gaura 'Siskiyou Pink' is rated USDA 5-9 and RHS H5 — Hardy in most of the UK and in cold winters.

Can gaura 'siskiyou pink' survive winter outside?

Plant it out within USDA 5-9 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 gaura 'siskiyou pink' 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.