Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Hausa Potato (Solenostemon rotundifolius)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Hausa Potato, Country Potato, Native Potato, Chinese Potato.

More about hausa potato

About Hausa Potato

Solenostemon rotundifolius · also called Hausa Potato, Country Potato · edible

Solenostemon rotundifolius is a small, herbaceous perennial cultivated across tropical Africa and South Asia for its clusters of small, dark-brown, edible tubers that are boiled, roasted, baked, or fried as a starchy vegetable. Native to sub-Saharan Africa, it thrives in warm, humid conditions with consistent moisture and fertile, well-drained soil, and requires 150-200 days from planting to harvest. The single most critical care point is to earth up the base of the plant as tubers begin to form to maximise yield. Toxicity data for this specific species is limited; as a relative of ornamental Coleus/Solenostemon, which the ASPCA lists as toxic, it is classified here as mildly-toxic for cats and dogs despite its use as a food crop for humans.

Cold limit: USDA 10-12 (indoor in most climates) · RHS H1b (17-27°C)

What hausa potato's hardiness rating actually means

Hardiness works differently for hausa potato: it is grown as a seasonal crop, not overwintered. The question is not "what zone" but "how long is your frost-free growing window". Its RHS rating of H1b means: Sub-tropical — a normal warm home is fine, but it cannot go outside in a cool season. On the US scale that maps to USDA 10-12 (indoor in most climates) — 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

As an annual crop, its "minimum temperature" is the first hard frost — that is the end of the plant's life, not a survivable low. Many types are also damaged by light frost (around 0 °C).

Concretely, for hausa potato as it gets too cold:

Light frost (around 0 to −2 °C) damages or kills tender summer crops outright; cold-hardy types take a few degrees of frost.
The plant does not "survive winter" — its life cycle simply ends, by design, when frost arrives or it finishes cropping.
A surprise late spring frost can also kill young transplants set out too early, before the season even starts.

Can hausa potato go outside or overwinter — and where?

Time it to your frost dates: sow or plant out after the last spring frost, and aim to harvest before the first autumn frost.
In short-season zones, start it indoors or under cover to stretch the effective growing window.
Hardier crops in this group can be sown for an autumn or overwintered harvest in mild zones — check the specific crop.

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 hausa potato can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H1b figure above.

Frost protection for borderline hausa potato

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

Use fleece, cloches or a cold frame at each end of the season to dodge a borderline frost and add growing weeks.
Have row cover ready for an unexpected late spring or early autumn frost.
Know your local last- and first-frost dates and count back the crop’s days-to-maturity to schedule the sowing.

Hausa Potato hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is hausa potato cold hardy?

Hardiness works differently for hausa potato: it is grown as a seasonal crop, not overwintered. The question is not "what zone" but "how long is your frost-free growing window". A seasonal crop, not a perennial. Hausa Potato is grown as an annual in USDA 10-12 (indoor in most climates); you sow after the last frost and harvest before the first one, then start again next year.

What is the minimum temperature hausa potato can survive?

As an annual crop, its "minimum temperature" is the first hard frost — that is the end of the plant's life, not a survivable low. Many types are also damaged by light frost (around 0 °C).

What hardiness zone is hausa potato?

Hausa Potato is rated USDA 10-12 (indoor in most climates) and RHS H1b — Sub-tropical — a normal warm home is fine, but it cannot go outside in a cool season.

Can hausa potato survive winter outside?

Time it to your frost dates: sow or plant out after the last spring frost, and aim to harvest before the first autumn frost. In short-season zones, start it indoors or under cover to stretch the effective growing window. Hardier crops in this group can be sown for an autumn or overwintered harvest in mild zones — check the specific crop.

How do I protect hausa potato from frost?

Use fleece, cloches or a cold frame at each end of the season to dodge a borderline frost and add growing weeks. Have row cover ready for an unexpected late spring or early autumn frost. Know your local last- and first-frost dates and count back the crop’s days-to-maturity to schedule the sowing.