Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Jasmine (Pink Jasmine) (Jasminum polyanthum)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Pink jasmine, Pink-flowered jasmine, Many-flowered jasmine, Chinese jasmine, White jasmine, Winter jasmine (informal).

More about jasmine (pink jasmine)

Hardiness at a glance

USDA zone: USDA 9-11 (RHS hardiness H2; tender, minimum 1-5C / mid-30s to low-40s F). Grow indoors or under glass where frost occurs; can summer outdoors in mild, sheltered spots.
RHS rating: H2 (derived)
Minimum survivable temperature: about 1 to 5 °C — tolerates cold but no real frost
Comfortable growing range: 15-22C in active growth; 4-13C for 4-6 weeks in autumn to set flower buds (59-72F in active growth; 40-55F for 4-6 weeks in autumn to set buds)
Verdict: Borderline outdoors. In its mild end of USDA USDA 9-11 (RHS hardiness H2; tender, minimum 1-5C / mid-30s to low-40s F). Grow indoors or under glass where frost occurs; can summer outdoors in mild, sheltered spots. (and sheltered UK gardens) jasmine (pink jasmine) can stay out; in colder areas it must be lifted, brought in, or treated as a frost-tender plant.

About Jasmine (Pink Jasmine)

Jasminum polyanthum · also called Pink jasmine, Pink-flowered jasmine · flowering

Pink jasmine is a vigorous, evergreen twining climber prized for clouds of intensely fragrant white flowers opening from pink buds in late winter and spring. Give it bright light, cool winter nights to set buds, and moist, well-drained soil. The ASPCA lists Jasminum as non-toxic to cats, dogs, and horses.

Cold limit: USDA USDA 9-11 (RHS hardiness H2; tender, minimum 1-5C / mid-30s to low-40s F). Grow indoors or under glass where frost occurs; can summer outdoors in mild, sheltered spots. (15-22C in active growth; 4-13C for 4-6 weeks in autumn to set flower buds)

Watch for — Yellowing leaves: Often overwatering and poor drainage, or sometimes a nutrient shortfall. Check the pot drains freely, let the surface dry slightly between waterings, and feed during the growing season; persistent yellowing can also follow cold drafts.

What jasmine (pink jasmine)'s hardiness rating actually means

Jasmine (Pink Jasmine) is half-hardy (RHS H2). It survives a mild winter outdoors in a sheltered spot, but a hard frost kills it — so in colder zones it is lifted, potted, or grown as a tender plant. Its RHS rating of H2 means: Tender — survives a frost-free greenhouse or a very mild, sheltered spot. On the US scale that maps to USDA USDA 9-11 (RHS hardiness H2; tender, minimum 1-5C / mid-30s to low-40s F). Grow indoors or under glass where frost occurs; can summer outdoors in mild, sheltered spots. — 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 1 to 5 °C — tolerates cold but no real frost. Jasmine (Pink Jasmine) shrugs off cold nights but a real, sustained freeze will kill it.

Concretely, for jasmine (pink jasmine) as it gets too cold:

Down to roughly about 1 to 5 °C it copes, especially if dry and sheltered.
A sustained hard frost collapses the top growth; whether it returns depends on whether the roots, crown or tubers froze.
Wet cold is far more lethal than dry cold for this plant — soggy, frozen soil is the usual killer.

Can jasmine (pink jasmine) go outside or overwinter — and where?

It can live outside year-round only in the mildest, most sheltered part of USDA USDA 9-11 (RHS hardiness H2; tender, minimum 1-5C / mid-30s to low-40s F). Grow indoors or under glass where frost occurs; can summer outdoors in mild, sheltered spots. or a frost-free UK microclimate.
In colder zones, grow it in a pot you can move under cover, or lift its tubers/roots and store them frost-free over winter.
A south-facing wall, free-draining soil and a dry winter position can push it a full zone hardier than the books suggest.

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 jasmine (pink jasmine) can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H2 figure above.

Frost protection for borderline jasmine (pink jasmine)

Jasmine (Pink Jasmine) is right on a hardiness edge in many gardens, so if you are pushing it, these measures buy it the margin it needs:

Mulch the crown or root zone deeply with bark, straw or leaf-mould before the first hard frost.
Move container plants against a warm wall or into an unheated but frost-free porch or greenhouse.
Fleece the top growth on the coldest nights, and keep it on the dry side — dry roots survive cold far better than wet ones.
Lift dahlia-type tubers or tender crowns after the first light frost blackens the foliage and store them somewhere cool but frost-free.

Jasmine (Pink Jasmine) hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is jasmine (pink jasmine) cold hardy?

Jasmine (Pink Jasmine) is half-hardy (RHS H2). It survives a mild winter outdoors in a sheltered spot, but a hard frost kills it — so in colder zones it is lifted, potted, or grown as a tender plant. Borderline outdoors. In its mild end of USDA USDA 9-11 (RHS hardiness H2; tender, minimum 1-5C / mid-30s to low-40s F). Grow indoors or under glass where frost occurs; can summer outdoors in mild, sheltered spots. (and sheltered UK gardens) jasmine (pink jasmine) can stay out; in colder areas it must be lifted, brought in, or treated as a frost-tender plant.

What is the minimum temperature jasmine (pink jasmine) can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about 1 to 5 °C — tolerates cold but no real frost. Jasmine (Pink Jasmine) shrugs off cold nights but a real, sustained freeze will kill it.

What hardiness zone is jasmine (pink jasmine)?

Jasmine (Pink Jasmine) is rated USDA USDA 9-11 (RHS hardiness H2; tender, minimum 1-5C / mid-30s to low-40s F). Grow indoors or under glass where frost occurs; can summer outdoors in mild, sheltered spots. and RHS H2 — Tender — survives a frost-free greenhouse or a very mild, sheltered spot.

Can jasmine (pink jasmine) survive winter outside?

It can live outside year-round only in the mildest, most sheltered part of USDA USDA 9-11 (RHS hardiness H2; tender, minimum 1-5C / mid-30s to low-40s F). Grow indoors or under glass where frost occurs; can summer outdoors in mild, sheltered spots. or a frost-free UK microclimate. In colder zones, grow it in a pot you can move under cover, or lift its tubers/roots and store them frost-free over winter. A south-facing wall, free-draining soil and a dry winter position can push it a full zone hardier than the books suggest.

How do I protect jasmine (pink jasmine) from frost?

Mulch the crown or root zone deeply with bark, straw or leaf-mould before the first hard frost. Move container plants against a warm wall or into an unheated but frost-free porch or greenhouse. Fleece the top growth on the coldest nights, and keep it on the dry side — dry roots survive cold far better than wet ones. Lift dahlia-type tubers or tender crowns after the first light frost blackens the foliage and store them somewhere cool but frost-free.