Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Kalanchoe Tomentosa 'Chocolate Soldier' (Kalanchoe tomentosa 'Chocolate Soldier')cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called chocolate soldier, brown panda plant.

More about kalanchoe tomentosa 'chocolate soldier'

About Kalanchoe Tomentosa 'Chocolate Soldier'

Kalanchoe tomentosa 'Chocolate Soldier' · also called chocolate soldier, brown panda plant · houseplant

A fuzzy Madagascan succulent prized for plump, felted leaves edged with chocolate-brown 'teeth'. 'Chocolate Soldier' has darker margins than the standard panda plant. It grows slowly into a small shrubby cluster, thrives on bright light and stingy watering, and rots fast in damp soil. All Kalanchoe are toxic to cats and dogs.

Cold limit: USDA 9-11 (indoor in most US homes) · RHS H1c (15-27°C)

What kalanchoe tomentosa 'chocolate soldier''s hardiness rating actually means

Kalanchoe Tomentosa 'Chocolate Soldier' 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 H1c means: Warm-temperate — can summer outdoors but must come in well before the first frost. On the US scale that maps to USDA 9-11 (indoor 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 5 °C (and never frost). Kalanchoe Tomentosa 'Chocolate Soldier' has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

Concretely, for kalanchoe tomentosa 'chocolate soldier' as it gets too cold:

Below about about 5 °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 kalanchoe tomentosa 'chocolate soldier' go outside or overwinter — and where?

It can holiday outdoors in summer once nights are reliably above 5 °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 kalanchoe tomentosa 'chocolate soldier' can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H1c figure above.

Kalanchoe Tomentosa 'Chocolate Soldier' hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is kalanchoe tomentosa 'chocolate soldier' cold hardy?

Kalanchoe Tomentosa 'Chocolate Soldier' 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. Kalanchoe Tomentosa 'Chocolate Soldier' can only live outside year-round in genuinely frost-free climates (roughly USDA 9-11 (indoor in most US homes)); everywhere else it is a houseplant that summers out at most.

What is the minimum temperature kalanchoe tomentosa 'chocolate soldier' can survive?

What hardiness zone is kalanchoe tomentosa 'chocolate soldier'?

Kalanchoe Tomentosa 'Chocolate Soldier' is rated USDA 9-11 (indoor in most US homes) and RHS H1c — Warm-temperate — can summer outdoors but must come in well before the first frost.

Can kalanchoe tomentosa 'chocolate soldier' survive winter outside?

It can holiday outdoors in summer once nights are reliably above 5 °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 kalanchoe tomentosa 'chocolate soldier' below its minimum temperature?

Below about about 5 °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.