Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is New Zealand Tree Fuchsia (Fuchsia excorticata)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called New Zealand Tree Fuchsia, Kotukutuku, Tree Fuchsia.

More about new zealand tree fuchsia

About New Zealand Tree Fuchsia

Fuchsia excorticata · also called New Zealand Tree Fuchsia, Kotukutuku · flowering

Fuchsia excorticata (kotukutuku) is endemic to New Zealand and holds the distinction of being the world's largest fuchsia species, capable of growing to 13 m with a trunk up to 70 cm in diameter. It is a deciduous tree with highly ornamental peeling copper to reddish-brown bark, and in spring it bears small green and deep purple flowers followed by dark edible berries; pollen is bright blue, another unusual trait. Outside New Zealand it is grown as a conservatory or greenhouse specimen in the UK, requiring frost-free winter protection, though it is hardy in the very mildest coastal gardens. The Fuchsia genus is listed as non-toxic to cats, dogs, and horses by the ASPCA.

Cold limit: USDA 8-10 · RHS H2 (1–22°C)

Watch for — Frost Damage: Young plants and new spring growth are vulnerable to late frosts; protect with horticultural fleece when temperatures are forecast below 0°C and mulch the root zone heavily to protect from ground frost.

What new zealand tree fuchsia's hardiness rating actually means

New Zealand Tree Fuchsia 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 8-10 — 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. New Zealand Tree Fuchsia shrugs off cold nights but a real, sustained freeze will kill it.

Concretely, for new zealand tree fuchsia 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 new zealand tree fuchsia go outside or overwinter — and where?

It can live outside year-round only in the mildest, most sheltered part of USDA 8-10 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 new zealand tree fuchsia 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 new zealand tree fuchsia

New Zealand Tree Fuchsia 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.

New Zealand Tree Fuchsia hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is new zealand tree fuchsia cold hardy?

New Zealand Tree Fuchsia 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 8-10 (and sheltered UK gardens) new zealand tree fuchsia can stay out; in colder areas it must be lifted, brought in, or treated as a frost-tender plant.

What is the minimum temperature new zealand tree fuchsia can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about 1 to 5 °C — tolerates cold but no real frost. New Zealand Tree Fuchsia shrugs off cold nights but a real, sustained freeze will kill it.

What hardiness zone is new zealand tree fuchsia?

New Zealand Tree Fuchsia is rated USDA 8-10 and RHS H2 — Tender — survives a frost-free greenhouse or a very mild, sheltered spot.

Can new zealand tree fuchsia survive winter outside?

It can live outside year-round only in the mildest, most sheltered part of USDA 8-10 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 new zealand tree fuchsia 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.