Cold hardiness & minimum temperature
Is Goldtau Tufted Hair Grass (Deschampsia cespitosa 'Goldtau')cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp
Also called gold dew tufted hair grass, goldtau hair grass.
More about goldtau tufted hair grass
About Goldtau Tufted Hair Grass
Deschampsia cespitosa 'Goldtau' · also called gold dew tufted hair grass, goldtau hair grass · flowering
'Goldtau' (Gold Dew) is a compact, refined selection of tufted hair grass forming neat mounds of dark green foliage topped by a haze of fine flowers that open reddish-bronze and age to glowing golden-yellow. More restrained and less aggressively self-seeding than the species, it suits smaller gardens and shade borders, holding its airy seedheads attractively into autumn and winter.
Cold limit: USDA 4-9 · RHS H7 (-1 to 24°C)
What goldtau tufted hair grass's hardiness rating actually means
Yes — goldtau tufted hair grass is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H7 and USDA 4-9, 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 4-9 — 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. Goldtau Tufted Hair Grass is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.
Concretely, for goldtau tufted hair grass 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 goldtau tufted hair grass go outside or overwinter — and where?
- Plant it out within USDA 4-9 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 goldtau tufted hair grass can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H7 figure above.
Goldtau Tufted Hair Grass hardiness — frequently asked questions
Is goldtau tufted hair grass cold hardy?
Yes — goldtau tufted hair grass is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H7 and USDA 4-9, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Goldtau Tufted Hair Grass is hardy across USDA 4-9; 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 goldtau tufted hair grass can survive?
Minimum survivable temperature is roughly below about −20 °C. Goldtau Tufted Hair Grass is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.
What hardiness zone is goldtau tufted hair grass?
Goldtau Tufted Hair Grass is rated USDA 4-9 and RHS H7 — Hardy in the severest European continental winters.
Can goldtau tufted hair grass survive winter outside?
Plant it out within USDA 4-9 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 goldtau tufted hair grass 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.
Keep reading
- Goldtau Tufted Hair Grass care — the full brief (light, water, soil, problems, pet safety)
- USDA hardiness zones — find yours and what grows there
- Is goldtau tufted hair grass 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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