Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Hairy Rock Jasmine (Androsace villosa)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Hairy Rock Jasmine, Villous Androsace.

More about hairy rock jasmine

About Hairy Rock Jasmine

Androsace villosa · also called Hairy Rock Jasmine, Villous Androsace · flowering

Hairy Rock Jasmine is a cushion-forming alpine perennial widespread across mountain ranges from the Alps and Pyrenees to central Asia. Dense silvery-hairy rosettes build compact mounds that in spring are covered with white or pale pink flowers bearing a yellow or pink eye. A reliable and somewhat more adaptable rock garden alpine than some relatives, valued for its attractive silver foliage and drought resilience.

Cold limit: USDA 3–7 · RHS H7 (-20°C to 20°C)

Watch for — Fungal rot in wet winters: Moisture trapped between hairy rosettes in cold, wet winters leads to botrytis or bacterial crown rot. Apply a coarse grit collar under the cushion, improve drainage, and consider protection with a glass or perspex pane that sheds rain while allowing airflow.

What hairy rock jasmine's hardiness rating actually means

Yes — hairy rock jasmine is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H7 and USDA 3–7, 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 3–7 — 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. Hairy Rock Jasmine is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for hairy rock jasmine 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 hairy rock jasmine go outside or overwinter — and where?

Plant it out within USDA 3–7 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 hairy rock jasmine can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H7 figure above.

Hairy Rock Jasmine hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is hairy rock jasmine cold hardy?

Yes — hairy rock jasmine is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H7 and USDA 3–7, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Hairy Rock Jasmine is hardy across USDA 3–7; 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 hairy rock jasmine can survive?

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

What hardiness zone is hairy rock jasmine?

Hairy Rock Jasmine is rated USDA 3–7 and RHS H7 — Hardy in the severest European continental winters.

Can hairy rock jasmine survive winter outside?

Plant it out within USDA 3–7 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 hairy rock jasmine 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.