Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Geranium sanguineum 'Max Frei' (Geranium sanguineum 'Max Frei')cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Max Frei cranesbill, Compact bloody geranium.

More about geranium sanguineum 'max frei'

About Geranium sanguineum 'Max Frei'

Geranium sanguineum 'Max Frei' · also called Max Frei cranesbill, Compact bloody geranium · flowering

Geranium sanguineum 'Max Frei' is a compact, tidy selection of bloody cranesbill prized for its dense low mound and prolific deep magenta-pink flowers from early summer to autumn. The finely cut dark foliage turns vivid red in autumn. More restrained and uniform than the species, it is excellent for edging, the front of sunny borders, gravel gardens and groundcover.

Cold limit: USDA 3-8 (outdoor hardy perennial) · RHS H7 (-25 to 27°C)

What geranium sanguineum 'max frei''s hardiness rating actually means

Yes — geranium sanguineum 'max frei' is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H7 and USDA 3-8 (outdoor hardy 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 hardy 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 sanguineum 'Max Frei' is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for geranium sanguineum 'max frei' 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 sanguineum 'max frei' go outside or overwinter — and where?

Plant it out within USDA 3-8 (outdoor hardy 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 sanguineum 'max frei' can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H7 figure above.

Geranium sanguineum 'Max Frei' hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is geranium sanguineum 'max frei' cold hardy?

Yes — geranium sanguineum 'max frei' is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H7 and USDA 3-8 (outdoor hardy perennial), it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Geranium sanguineum 'Max Frei' is hardy across USDA 3-8 (outdoor hardy 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 sanguineum 'max frei' can survive?

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

What hardiness zone is geranium sanguineum 'max frei'?

Geranium sanguineum 'Max Frei' is rated USDA 3-8 (outdoor hardy perennial) and RHS H7 — Hardy in the severest European continental winters.

Can geranium sanguineum 'max frei' survive winter outside?

Plant it out within USDA 3-8 (outdoor hardy 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 sanguineum 'max frei' 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.