Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Hedera helix 'Glacier' (Hedera helix 'Glacier')cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Glacier ivy, variegated English ivy.

More about hedera helix 'glacier'

About Hedera helix 'Glacier'

Hedera helix 'Glacier' · also called Glacier ivy, variegated English ivy · houseplant

'Glacier' is a compact variegated English ivy with small grey-green leaves edged in creamy silver-white. It trails or climbs by aerial rootlets and stays tidy in a pot. Grow it cool and bright for the best variegation; too much shade fades the cream and stretches the stems. An easy, fast-rooting trailer.

Cold limit: USDA 5-9 (outdoors); grown as a houseplant in most US homes · RHS H5 (10-21°C)

What hedera helix 'glacier''s hardiness rating actually means

Yes — hedera helix 'glacier' is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H5 and USDA 5-9 (outdoors); grown as a houseplant in most US homes, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. Its RHS rating of H5 means: Hardy in most of the UK and in cold winters. On the US scale that maps to USDA 5-9 (outdoors); grown as a houseplant in most US homes — 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 −15 to −10 °C. Hedera helix 'Glacier' is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for hedera helix 'glacier' as it gets too cold:

It tolerates winter lows to about −15 to −10 °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 hedera helix 'glacier' go outside or overwinter — and where?

Plant it out within USDA 5-9 (outdoors); grown as a houseplant in most US homes 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 hedera helix 'glacier' can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H5 figure above.

Hedera helix 'Glacier' hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is hedera helix 'glacier' cold hardy?

Yes — hedera helix 'glacier' is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H5 and USDA 5-9 (outdoors); grown as a houseplant in most US homes, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Hedera helix 'Glacier' is hardy across USDA 5-9 (outdoors); grown as a houseplant in most US homes; 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 hedera helix 'glacier' can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −15 to −10 °C. Hedera helix 'Glacier' is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

What hardiness zone is hedera helix 'glacier'?

Hedera helix 'Glacier' is rated USDA 5-9 (outdoors); grown as a houseplant in most US homes and RHS H5 — Hardy in most of the UK and in cold winters.

Can hedera helix 'glacier' survive winter outside?

Plant it out within USDA 5-9 (outdoors); grown as a houseplant in most US homes 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 hedera helix 'glacier' below its minimum temperature?

It tolerates winter lows to about −15 to −10 °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.