Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Nicholas Hakone Grass (Hakonechloa macra 'Nicolas')cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called nicolas hakone grass, golden japanese forest grass.

More about nicholas hakone grass

About Nicholas Hakone Grass

Hakonechloa macra 'Nicolas' · also called nicolas hakone grass, golden japanese forest grass · flowering

Hakonechloa macra 'Nicolas' is a compact Japanese forest grass with slender green blades that flush brilliant orange, red, and burgundy in autumn. Smaller and more upright than gold-variegated forms, it forms tidy cascading mounds in part shade with moist, rich soil. A standout deciduous grass for fiery seasonal colour in shady borders and containers.

Cold limit: USDA 5-9 · RHS H6 (-1 to 24°C)

Watch for — Dormancy mistaken for death: The clump dies back fully each winter; leave it standing or cut to the ground in late winter before fresh shoots appear in spring.

What nicholas hakone grass's hardiness rating actually means

Yes — nicholas hakone grass is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H6 and USDA 5-9, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. Its RHS rating of H6 means: Hardy throughout the UK and northern Europe. On the US scale that maps to USDA 5-9 — 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 −20 to −15 °C. Nicholas Hakone Grass is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for nicholas hakone grass as it gets too cold:

It tolerates winter lows to about −20 to −15 °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 nicholas hakone grass go outside or overwinter — and where?

Plant it out within USDA 5-9 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 nicholas hakone grass can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H6 figure above.

Nicholas Hakone Grass hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is nicholas hakone grass cold hardy?

Yes — nicholas hakone grass is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H6 and USDA 5-9, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Nicholas Hakone Grass is hardy across USDA 5-9; 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 nicholas hakone grass can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −20 to −15 °C. Nicholas Hakone Grass is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

What hardiness zone is nicholas hakone grass?

Nicholas Hakone Grass is rated USDA 5-9 and RHS H6 — Hardy throughout the UK and northern Europe.

Can nicholas hakone grass survive winter outside?

Plant it out within USDA 5-9 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 nicholas hakone grass below its minimum temperature?

It tolerates winter lows to about −20 to −15 °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.