Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Musk Stork's Bill (Erodium moschatum)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Musk Stork's Bill, Musky Stork's Bill, Whitestem Filaree, Musk Geranium.

More about musk stork's bill

About Musk Stork's Bill

Erodium moschatum · also called Musk Stork's Bill, Musky Stork's Bill · herb

Erodium moschatum is an annual or biennial herb native to southern Europe, the Mediterranean basin, and western Asia, now naturalised on most continents including North America and Australia. It produces a spreading rosette of pinnately divided, musky-scented leaves and small pinkish-purple flowers from spring through summer. The young leaves are edible raw or lightly cooked and have been used as a wild vegetable and potherb for centuries. The key care fact is providing a sunny, well-drained position in neutral to alkaline soil. Not documented as toxic; mildly-toxic is the cautious classification as no specific ASPCA non-toxic entry exists for this species.

Cold limit: USDA 6-10 (annual/biennial, self-seeds freely) · RHS H4 (-8 to 30°C)

What musk stork's bill's hardiness rating actually means

Yes — musk stork's bill is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H4 and USDA 6-10 (annual/biennial, self-seeds freely), it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. Its RHS rating of H4 means: Hardy in an average winter across much of the temperate world. On the US scale that maps to USDA 6-10 (annual/biennial, self-seeds freely) — 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 to −5 °C. Musk Stork's Bill is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for musk stork's bill as it gets too cold:

It tolerates winter lows to about −10 to −5 °C once established.
Below its rated zone, the visible damage is browned or blackened top growth and, in the worst case, a killed crown or root.
First-year, newly planted, or container-grown specimens are noticeably less hardy than established garden plants — the roots are exposed.

Can musk stork's bill go outside or overwinter — and where?

Plant it out within USDA 6-10 (annual/biennial, self-seeds freely) and it overwinters with little or no help.
It does not want to come indoors — a warm winter room actually weakens a hardy plant by denying it dormancy.
The real risks in its range are waterlogging, wind-rock on young plants, and a late hard frost on new growth — not ordinary winter cold.

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 musk stork's bill can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H4 figure above.

Musk Stork's Bill hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is musk stork's bill cold hardy?

Yes — musk stork's bill is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H4 and USDA 6-10 (annual/biennial, self-seeds freely), it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Musk Stork's Bill is hardy across USDA 6-10 (annual/biennial, self-seeds freely); it belongs in the ground or a frost-proof container, not on a windowsill, and many types actively need a cold winter to perform.

What is the minimum temperature musk stork's bill can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −10 to −5 °C. Musk Stork's Bill is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

What hardiness zone is musk stork's bill?

Musk Stork's Bill is rated USDA 6-10 (annual/biennial, self-seeds freely) and RHS H4 — Hardy in an average winter across much of the temperate world.

Can musk stork's bill survive winter outside?

Plant it out within USDA 6-10 (annual/biennial, self-seeds freely) and it overwinters with little or no help. It does not want to come indoors — a warm winter room actually weakens a hardy plant by denying it dormancy. The real risks in its range are waterlogging, wind-rock on young plants, and a late hard frost on new growth — not ordinary winter cold.

What happens to musk stork's bill below its minimum temperature?

It tolerates winter lows to about −10 to −5 °C once established. Below its rated zone, the visible damage is browned or blackened top growth and, in the worst case, a killed crown or root. First-year, newly planted, or container-grown specimens are noticeably less hardy than established garden plants — the roots are exposed.