Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Hypoestes phyllostachya 'Carmina' (Hypoestes phyllostachya 'Carmina')cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Carmina polka dot plant, Deep red polka dot.

More about hypoestes phyllostachya 'carmina'

About Hypoestes phyllostachya 'Carmina'

Hypoestes phyllostachya 'Carmina' · also called Carmina polka dot plant, Deep red polka dot · tropical

Hypoestes phyllostachya 'Carmina' is a polka dot plant with dark green leaves saturated by deep carmine-red mottling, often nearly hiding the green in good light. From Madagascar, this soft-stemmed tropical wants warmth, bright indirect light, and steady moisture to hold its rich colour. Fast and bushy when pinched, it is short-lived but roots from cuttings in days.

Cold limit: USDA 10-11 (indoor in most US and UK homes) · RHS H1b (18-27°C)

Watch for — Sudden wilting: The soft stems collapse when the soil dries out completely. Keep evenly moist and shield from cold draughts and hot radiators, both of which stress the plant.

What hypoestes phyllostachya 'carmina''s hardiness rating actually means

Hypoestes phyllostachya 'Carmina' is not cold hardy. It is a tropical houseplant that dies if it is left out through frost — there is no zone where it overwinters outdoors in a UK or cold-US climate. 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 10-11 (indoor in most US and UK 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 10 °C (sustained cold below this is damaging). Hypoestes phyllostachya 'Carmina' has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

Concretely, for hypoestes phyllostachya 'carmina' as it gets too cold:

Below about about 10 °C, growth stalls and the leaves start to show cold stress — dark, water-soaked, or yellowing patches.
A single light frost blackens the foliage; a hard freeze kills the whole plant, roots included, and it does not recover.
Even a cold, draughty windowsill or an unheated porch in winter can be enough to damage it permanently.

Can hypoestes phyllostachya 'carmina' go outside or overwinter — and where?

It can holiday outdoors in summer once nights are reliably above 10 °C, in shade or dappled light, hardened off gradually.
Bring it back indoors well before the first autumn frost — do not wait for a frost warning, move it when nights drop toward 10-12 °C.
It will never overwinter outside in a temperate climate; the indoors is its winter home, full stop.

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 hypoestes phyllostachya 'carmina' can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H1b figure above.

Hypoestes phyllostachya 'Carmina' hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is hypoestes phyllostachya 'carmina' cold hardy?

Hypoestes phyllostachya 'Carmina' is not cold hardy. It is a tropical houseplant that dies if it is left out through frost — there is no zone where it overwinters outdoors in a UK or cold-US climate. Indoor-only in almost every home. Hypoestes phyllostachya 'Carmina' can only live outside year-round in genuinely frost-free climates (roughly USDA 10-11 (indoor in most US and UK homes)); everywhere else it is a houseplant that summers out at most.

What is the minimum temperature hypoestes phyllostachya 'carmina' can survive?

What hardiness zone is hypoestes phyllostachya 'carmina'?

Hypoestes phyllostachya 'Carmina' is rated USDA 10-11 (indoor in most US and UK homes) and RHS H1b — Sub-tropical — a normal warm home is fine, but it cannot go outside in a cool season.

Can hypoestes phyllostachya 'carmina' survive winter outside?

It can holiday outdoors in summer once nights are reliably above 10 °C, in shade or dappled light, hardened off gradually. Bring it back indoors well before the first autumn frost — do not wait for a frost warning, move it when nights drop toward 10-12 °C. It will never overwinter outside in a temperate climate; the indoors is its winter home, full stop.

What happens to hypoestes phyllostachya 'carmina' below its minimum temperature?

Below about about 10 °C, growth stalls and the leaves start to show cold stress — dark, water-soaked, or yellowing patches. A single light frost blackens the foliage; a hard freeze kills the whole plant, roots included, and it does not recover. Even a cold, draughty windowsill or an unheated porch in winter can be enough to damage it permanently.