Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Nicotiana alata 'Perfume Deep Purple' (Nicotiana alata 'Perfume Deep Purple')cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Perfume Deep Purple Flowering Tobacco, Deep Purple Nicotiana.

More about nicotiana alata 'perfume deep purple'

About Nicotiana alata 'Perfume Deep Purple'

Nicotiana alata 'Perfume Deep Purple' · also called Perfume Deep Purple Flowering Tobacco, Deep Purple Nicotiana · flowering

A compact, fragrant flowering tobacco from the Perfume series, 'Perfume Deep Purple' bears clusters of star-shaped, deep violet-purple trumpets that release a rich evening scent. Bred for tidy bedding and containers, it flowers continuously through summer and attracts moths and other night pollinators. It thrives in sun to part shade and rewards deadheading with steady bloom.

Cold limit: USDA 10-11 (grown as a warm-season annual in most regions) · RHS H2 (16-27°C)

What nicotiana alata 'perfume deep purple''s hardiness rating actually means

Nicotiana alata 'Perfume Deep Purple' 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 10-11 (grown as a warm-season annual in most regions) — 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. Nicotiana alata 'Perfume Deep Purple' shrugs off cold nights but a real, sustained freeze will kill it.

Concretely, for nicotiana alata 'perfume deep purple' 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 nicotiana alata 'perfume deep purple' go outside or overwinter — and where?

It can live outside year-round only in the mildest, most sheltered part of USDA 10-11 (grown as a warm-season annual in most regions) 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 nicotiana alata 'perfume deep purple' 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 nicotiana alata 'perfume deep purple'

Nicotiana alata 'Perfume Deep Purple' 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.

Nicotiana alata 'Perfume Deep Purple' hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is nicotiana alata 'perfume deep purple' cold hardy?

Nicotiana alata 'Perfume Deep Purple' 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 10-11 (grown as a warm-season annual in most regions) (and sheltered UK gardens) nicotiana alata 'perfume deep purple' can stay out; in colder areas it must be lifted, brought in, or treated as a frost-tender plant.

What is the minimum temperature nicotiana alata 'perfume deep purple' can survive?

What hardiness zone is nicotiana alata 'perfume deep purple'?

Nicotiana alata 'Perfume Deep Purple' is rated USDA 10-11 (grown as a warm-season annual in most regions) and RHS H2 — Tender — survives a frost-free greenhouse or a very mild, sheltered spot.

Can nicotiana alata 'perfume deep purple' survive winter outside?

It can live outside year-round only in the mildest, most sheltered part of USDA 10-11 (grown as a warm-season annual in most regions) 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 nicotiana alata 'perfume deep purple' 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.