Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Paeonia mlokosewitschii (Paeonia mlokosewitschii)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Molly the witch peony, Caucasian peony.

More about paeonia mlokosewitschii

About Paeonia mlokosewitschii

Paeonia mlokosewitschii · also called Molly the witch peony, Caucasian peony · flowering

Affectionately called 'Molly the witch', this Caucasian species peony bears single, lemon-yellow cupped flowers in mid to late spring above soft glaucous blue-green foliage, followed by striking red-and-black seed pods. A choice, early-flowering, long-lived clump-former, it is fully hardy and prefers full sun to light shade in deep, fertile, well-drained alkaline soil.

Cold limit: USDA 4-8 · RHS H6 (-25 to 28°C)

What paeonia mlokosewitschii's hardiness rating actually means

Yes — paeonia mlokosewitschii is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H6 and USDA 4-8, 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 4-8 — 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. Paeonia mlokosewitschii is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for paeonia mlokosewitschii 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 paeonia mlokosewitschii go outside or overwinter — and where?

Plant it out within USDA 4-8 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 paeonia mlokosewitschii can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H6 figure above.

Paeonia mlokosewitschii hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is paeonia mlokosewitschii cold hardy?

Yes — paeonia mlokosewitschii is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H6 and USDA 4-8, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Paeonia mlokosewitschii is hardy across USDA 4-8; 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 paeonia mlokosewitschii can survive?

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

What hardiness zone is paeonia mlokosewitschii?

Paeonia mlokosewitschii is rated USDA 4-8 and RHS H6 — Hardy throughout the UK and northern Europe.

Can paeonia mlokosewitschii survive winter outside?

Plant it out within USDA 4-8 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 paeonia mlokosewitschii 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.