Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Ghost Plant (Graptopetalum paraguayense)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Ghost plant, Mother of pearl plant, Mother-of-pearl.

More about ghost plant

About Ghost Plant

Graptopetalum paraguayense · also called Ghost plant, Mother of pearl plant · houseplant

The ghost plant is an easy, trailing Mexican succulent prized for ghostly pastel rosettes dusted in chalky white farina that blush pink, peach and lilac in strong light. Its one defining need is sharp drainage and a long dry-out between drinks: it stores water in its leaves and rots fast if the roots ever stay wet.

Cold limit: USDA 9a-11b · RHS H2 (tolerant to roughly 1-5°C; not frost-hardy in the UK) (18-27°C)

Watch for — Overwatering and root rot: By far the commonest killer. The fine roots and fleshy leaves hold water, so soggy compost quickly turns stems mushy and translucent. Always let the mix dry out fully, use gritty soil and a draining pot, and water far less in winter.

What ghost plant's hardiness rating actually means

Ghost Plant is half-hardy (RHS H2). It survives a mild winter outdoors in a sheltered spot, but a hard frost kills it — so in colder zones it is lifted, potted, or grown as a tender plant. Its RHS rating of H2 means: Tender — survives a frost-free greenhouse or a very mild, sheltered spot. On the US scale that maps to USDA 9a-11b — 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 1 to 5 °C — tolerates cold but no real frost. Ghost Plant shrugs off cold nights but a real, sustained freeze will kill it.

Concretely, for ghost plant as it gets too cold:

Down to roughly about 1 to 5 °C it copes, especially if dry and sheltered.
A sustained hard frost collapses the top growth; whether it returns depends on whether the roots, crown or tubers froze.
Wet cold is far more lethal than dry cold for this plant — soggy, frozen soil is the usual killer.

Can ghost plant go outside or overwinter — and where?

It can live outside year-round only in the mildest, most sheltered part of USDA 9a-11b or a frost-free UK microclimate.
In colder zones, grow it in a pot you can move under cover, or lift its tubers/roots and store them frost-free over winter.
A south-facing wall, free-draining soil and a dry winter position can push it a full zone hardier than the books suggest.

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 ghost plant can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H2 figure above.

Frost protection for borderline ghost plant

Ghost Plant is right on a hardiness edge in many gardens, so if you are pushing it, these measures buy it the margin it needs:

Mulch the crown or root zone deeply with bark, straw or leaf-mould before the first hard frost.
Move container plants against a warm wall or into an unheated but frost-free porch or greenhouse.
Fleece the top growth on the coldest nights, and keep it on the dry side — dry roots survive cold far better than wet ones.
Lift dahlia-type tubers or tender crowns after the first light frost blackens the foliage and store them somewhere cool but frost-free.

Ghost Plant hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is ghost plant cold hardy?

Ghost Plant is half-hardy (RHS H2). It survives a mild winter outdoors in a sheltered spot, but a hard frost kills it — so in colder zones it is lifted, potted, or grown as a tender plant. Borderline outdoors. In its mild end of USDA 9a-11b (and sheltered UK gardens) ghost plant can stay out; in colder areas it must be lifted, brought in, or treated as a frost-tender plant.

What is the minimum temperature ghost plant can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about 1 to 5 °C — tolerates cold but no real frost. Ghost Plant shrugs off cold nights but a real, sustained freeze will kill it.

What hardiness zone is ghost plant?

Ghost Plant is rated USDA 9a-11b and RHS H2 — Tender — survives a frost-free greenhouse or a very mild, sheltered spot.

Can ghost plant survive winter outside?

It can live outside year-round only in the mildest, most sheltered part of USDA 9a-11b or a frost-free UK microclimate. In colder zones, grow it in a pot you can move under cover, or lift its tubers/roots and store them frost-free over winter. A south-facing wall, free-draining soil and a dry winter position can push it a full zone hardier than the books suggest.

How do I protect ghost plant from frost?

Mulch the crown or root zone deeply with bark, straw or leaf-mould before the first hard frost. Move container plants against a warm wall or into an unheated but frost-free porch or greenhouse. Fleece the top growth on the coldest nights, and keep it on the dry side — dry roots survive cold far better than wet ones. Lift dahlia-type tubers or tender crowns after the first light frost blackens the foliage and store them somewhere cool but frost-free.