Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Moon Valley Pilea (Pilea mollis 'Moon Valley')cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Moon Valley pilea, Moon Valley friendship plant.

More about moon valley pilea

About Moon Valley Pilea

Pilea mollis 'Moon Valley' · also called Moon Valley pilea, Moon Valley friendship plant · houseplant

Moon Valley pilea (Pilea mollis 'Moon Valley') is a bushy Central American foliage plant grown for its deeply textured, quilted chartreuse leaves with bronze sunken veins resembling a lunar landscape. It likes bright indirect light, even moisture, and warm humid air. As a Pilea it is ASPCA non-toxic, making it a safe, compact pick for pet homes.

Cold limit: USDA 11-12 (indoor in most US homes) · RHS H1b (16-27°C)

What moon valley pilea's hardiness rating actually means

Moon Valley Pilea 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 11-12 (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 10 °C (sustained cold below this is damaging). Moon Valley Pilea has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

Concretely, for moon valley pilea 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 moon valley pilea 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 moon valley pilea can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H1b figure above.

Moon Valley Pilea hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is moon valley pilea cold hardy?

Moon Valley Pilea 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. Moon Valley Pilea can only live outside year-round in genuinely frost-free climates (roughly USDA 11-12 (indoor in most US homes)); everywhere else it is a houseplant that summers out at most.

What is the minimum temperature moon valley pilea can survive?

What hardiness zone is moon valley pilea?

Moon Valley Pilea is rated USDA 11-12 (indoor in most US homes) and RHS H1b — Sub-tropical — a normal warm home is fine, but it cannot go outside in a cool season.

Can moon valley pilea 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 moon valley pilea 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.