Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Geranium maculatum 'Elizabeth Ann' (Geranium maculatum 'Elizabeth Ann')cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Elizabeth Ann spotted cranesbill, Dark-leaved wild geranium.

More about geranium maculatum 'elizabeth ann'

About Geranium maculatum 'Elizabeth Ann'

Geranium maculatum 'Elizabeth Ann' · also called Elizabeth Ann spotted cranesbill, Dark-leaved wild geranium · flowering

'Elizabeth Ann' is a striking dark-leaved selection of wild cranesbill, grown chiefly for its chocolate-bronze, deeply cut foliage that contrasts with soft pink-lilac, five-petalled flowers in late spring and early summer. The richest leaf colour develops in good light; it forms tidy clumps, prefers moist humus-rich soil and dies back over winter.

Cold limit: USDA 3-8 (outdoor perennial) · RHS H7 (-34 to 24°C)

What geranium maculatum 'elizabeth ann''s hardiness rating actually means

Yes — geranium maculatum 'elizabeth ann' is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H7 and USDA 3-8 (outdoor perennial), it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. Its RHS rating of H7 means: Hardy in the severest European continental winters. On the US scale that maps to USDA 3-8 (outdoor perennial) — 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 below about −20 °C. Geranium maculatum 'Elizabeth Ann' is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for geranium maculatum 'elizabeth ann' as it gets too cold:

It tolerates winter lows to about −20 °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 geranium maculatum 'elizabeth ann' go outside or overwinter — and where?

Plant it out within USDA 3-8 (outdoor perennial) 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 geranium maculatum 'elizabeth ann' can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H7 figure above.

Geranium maculatum 'Elizabeth Ann' hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is geranium maculatum 'elizabeth ann' cold hardy?

Yes — geranium maculatum 'elizabeth ann' is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H7 and USDA 3-8 (outdoor perennial), it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Geranium maculatum 'Elizabeth Ann' is hardy across USDA 3-8 (outdoor perennial); 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 geranium maculatum 'elizabeth ann' can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly below about −20 °C. Geranium maculatum 'Elizabeth Ann' is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

What hardiness zone is geranium maculatum 'elizabeth ann'?

Geranium maculatum 'Elizabeth Ann' is rated USDA 3-8 (outdoor perennial) and RHS H7 — Hardy in the severest European continental winters.

Can geranium maculatum 'elizabeth ann' survive winter outside?

Plant it out within USDA 3-8 (outdoor perennial) 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 geranium maculatum 'elizabeth ann' below its minimum temperature?

It tolerates winter lows to about −20 °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.