Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Goldmoss Stonecrop (Sedum acre)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Goldmoss Stonecrop, Wall Pepper, Mossy Stonecrop, Biting Stonecrop.

More about goldmoss stonecrop

About Goldmoss Stonecrop

Sedum acre · also called Goldmoss Stonecrop, Wall Pepper · flowering

Sedum acre is a vigorous, mat-forming stonecrop native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa, widely naturalised in North America. Its tiny, succulent, triangular leaves form a dense moss-like mat covered in a bright flush of star-shaped golden-yellow flowers in late spring and early summer. Extremely tough and drought-tolerant, it colonises walls, rock gardens, and alpine troughs.

Cold limit: USDA 3–9 · RHS H7 (-25–30°C)

Watch for — Rot in winter wet (container culture): Prolonged waterlogging in winter causes mat sections to blacken and die off. In containers, raise the pot on feet for drainage and use a very lean, gritty compost. Outdoor ground planting on a slope or raised bed largely avoids this.

What goldmoss stonecrop's hardiness rating actually means

Yes — goldmoss stonecrop is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H7 and USDA 3–9, 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 3–9 — 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 below about −20 °C. Goldmoss Stonecrop is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for goldmoss stonecrop 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 goldmoss stonecrop go outside or overwinter — and where?

Plant it out within USDA 3–9 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 goldmoss stonecrop can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H7 figure above.

Goldmoss Stonecrop hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is goldmoss stonecrop cold hardy?

Yes — goldmoss stonecrop is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H7 and USDA 3–9, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Goldmoss Stonecrop is hardy across USDA 3–9; 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 goldmoss stonecrop can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly below about −20 °C. Goldmoss Stonecrop is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

What hardiness zone is goldmoss stonecrop?

Goldmoss Stonecrop is rated USDA 3–9 and RHS H7 — Hardy in the severest European continental winters.

Can goldmoss stonecrop survive winter outside?

Plant it out within USDA 3–9 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 goldmoss stonecrop 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.