Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Lance-leaved Sundew (Drosera adelae)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Lance-leaved sundew, Adelaide's sundew.

More about lance-leaved sundew

About Lance-leaved Sundew

Drosera adelae · also called Lance-leaved sundew, Adelaide's sundew · tropical

Drosera adelae is a carnivorous sundew native to the rainforest gullies of north-east Queensland, Australia, where it grows in shaded, humid conditions along stream banks. Unlike most of its tropical Australian relatives it thrives in lower light and consistent year-round moisture, making it one of the more forgiving sundews for indoor cultivation. The single most important care fact is that it must never dry out — the tray method (1–2 cm of pure water beneath the pot at all times) suits it perfectly. Drosera is not listed as toxic to cats or dogs by the ASPCA and is considered non-toxic to pets.

Cold limit: USDA 10-12 (indoor in most climates) · RHS H1b (15–30 °C)

What lance-leaved sundew's hardiness rating actually means

Lance-leaved Sundew 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 10-12 (indoor in most climates) — 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). Lance-leaved Sundew has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

Concretely, for lance-leaved sundew 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 lance-leaved sundew 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 lance-leaved sundew can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H1b figure above.

Lance-leaved Sundew hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is lance-leaved sundew cold hardy?

Lance-leaved Sundew 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. Lance-leaved Sundew can only live outside year-round in genuinely frost-free climates (roughly USDA 10-12 (indoor in most climates)); everywhere else it is a houseplant that summers out at most.

What is the minimum temperature lance-leaved sundew can survive?

What hardiness zone is lance-leaved sundew?

Lance-leaved Sundew is rated USDA 10-12 (indoor in most climates) and RHS H1b — Sub-tropical — a normal warm home is fine, but it cannot go outside in a cool season.

Can lance-leaved sundew 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 lance-leaved sundew 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.