Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Pelargonium 'Fragrans Variegatum' (Pelargonium 'Fragrans Variegatum')cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Variegated nutmeg geranium.

More about pelargonium 'fragrans variegatum'

About Pelargonium 'Fragrans Variegatum'

Pelargonium 'Fragrans Variegatum' · also called Variegated nutmeg geranium · herb

Pelargonium 'Fragrans Variegatum' is the cream-edged form of the nutmeg geranium, pairing small ruffled grey-green leaves marked with creamy variegation and the same warm nutmeg-pine scent. A compact tender perennial with small white flowers, it is grown for fragrant, decorative foliage. Like all variegated forms it needs bright light to hold its markings and sharp drainage.

Cold limit: USDA 9-11 (tender; protect from frost) · RHS H2 (10-24°C)

What pelargonium 'fragrans variegatum''s hardiness rating actually means

Pelargonium 'Fragrans Variegatum' 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 9-11 (tender; protect from frost) — 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. Pelargonium 'Fragrans Variegatum' shrugs off cold nights but a real, sustained freeze will kill it.

Concretely, for pelargonium 'fragrans variegatum' 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 pelargonium 'fragrans variegatum' go outside or overwinter — and where?

It can live outside year-round only in the mildest, most sheltered part of USDA 9-11 (tender; protect from frost) 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 pelargonium 'fragrans variegatum' 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 pelargonium 'fragrans variegatum'

Pelargonium 'Fragrans Variegatum' 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.

Pelargonium 'Fragrans Variegatum' hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is pelargonium 'fragrans variegatum' cold hardy?

Pelargonium 'Fragrans Variegatum' 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 9-11 (tender; protect from frost) (and sheltered UK gardens) pelargonium 'fragrans variegatum' can stay out; in colder areas it must be lifted, brought in, or treated as a frost-tender plant.

What is the minimum temperature pelargonium 'fragrans variegatum' can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about 1 to 5 °C — tolerates cold but no real frost. Pelargonium 'Fragrans Variegatum' shrugs off cold nights but a real, sustained freeze will kill it.

What hardiness zone is pelargonium 'fragrans variegatum'?

Pelargonium 'Fragrans Variegatum' is rated USDA 9-11 (tender; protect from frost) and RHS H2 — Tender — survives a frost-free greenhouse or a very mild, sheltered spot.

Can pelargonium 'fragrans variegatum' survive winter outside?

It can live outside year-round only in the mildest, most sheltered part of USDA 9-11 (tender; protect from frost) 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 pelargonium 'fragrans variegatum' 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.