Cold hardiness & minimum temperature
Is Geum 'Scarlet Tempest' (Geum 'Scarlet Tempest')cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp
Also called Scarlet Tempest avens.
More about geum 'scarlet tempest'
About Geum 'Scarlet Tempest'
Geum 'Scarlet Tempest' · also called Scarlet Tempest avens · flowering
Geum 'Scarlet Tempest' is a compact, long-blooming avens bearing semi-double, ruffled scarlet flowers with subtle apricot tones over neat mounds of fresh green foliage. Flowering generously from late spring well into summer, it is tidy, weather-resistant and reliable in sunny to lightly shaded borders and containers, and it pairs vividly with cool blues and purples.
Cold limit: USDA 5-9 · RHS H6 (-29 to 27°C)
Watch for — Crown rot in winter wet: Waterlogged soil rots the crown. Plant in free-draining ground and improve heavy clay with grit and organic matter.
What geum 'scarlet tempest''s hardiness rating actually means
Yes — geum 'scarlet tempest' is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H6 and USDA 5-9, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. Its RHS rating of H6 means: Hardy throughout the UK and northern Europe. 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 −20 to −15 °C. Geum 'Scarlet Tempest' is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.
Concretely, for geum 'scarlet tempest' as it gets too cold:
- It tolerates winter lows to about −20 to −15 °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 geum 'scarlet tempest' 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 geum 'scarlet tempest' can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H6 figure above.
Geum 'Scarlet Tempest' hardiness — frequently asked questions
Is geum 'scarlet tempest' cold hardy?
Yes — geum 'scarlet tempest' is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H6 and USDA 5-9, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Geum 'Scarlet Tempest' 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 geum 'scarlet tempest' can survive?
Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −20 to −15 °C. Geum 'Scarlet Tempest' is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.
What hardiness zone is geum 'scarlet tempest'?
Geum 'Scarlet Tempest' is rated USDA 5-9 and RHS H6 — Hardy throughout the UK and northern Europe.
Can geum 'scarlet tempest' 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 geum 'scarlet tempest' below its minimum temperature?
It tolerates winter lows to about −20 to −15 °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.
Keep reading
- Geum 'Scarlet Tempest' care — the full brief (light, water, soil, problems, pet safety)
- USDA hardiness zones — find yours and what grows there
- Is geum 'scarlet tempest' hardy in the UK? — the RHS-rating version
- RHS hardiness ratings — the UK system explained
- Frost-date calculator — your real outdoor window
- The USDA hardiness zone map, explained
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