Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Henry's Lime (Tilia henryana)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Henry's Lime, Henry's Linden.

More about henry's lime

About Henry's Lime

Tilia henryana · also called Henry's Lime, Henry's Linden · flowering

A rare and ornamental Chinese linden that stands out for its unusually late flowering in August–September and its striking spring foliage, which emerges flushed silvery-pink. Heart-shaped leaves have distinctive bristle-tipped teeth. Well-suited to sheltered, large gardens where its extended bloom period fills a gap left by earlier-flowering trees.

Cold limit: USDA 6–8 · RHS H5 (-15°C to 33°C)

Watch for — Frost damage to late new growth: The distinctive pink spring flush and any autumn growth can be caught by late or early frosts at the margins of its hardiness range. Plant in a sheltered microclimate and avoid sites prone to frost pockets.

What henry's lime's hardiness rating actually means

Yes — henry's lime is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H5 and USDA 6–8, 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 6–8 — 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. Henry's Lime is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for henry's lime 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 henry's lime go outside or overwinter — and where?

Plant it out within USDA 6–8 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 henry's lime can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H5 figure above.

Henry's Lime hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is henry's lime cold hardy?

Yes — henry's lime is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H5 and USDA 6–8, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Henry's Lime is hardy across USDA 6–8; 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 henry's lime can survive?

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

What hardiness zone is henry's lime?

Henry's Lime is rated USDA 6–8 and RHS H5 — Hardy in most of the UK and in cold winters.

Can henry's lime survive winter outside?

Plant it out within USDA 6–8 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 henry's lime 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.