Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Pelargonium 'Mabel Grey' (Pelargonium 'Mabel Grey')cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Mabel Grey scented geranium, Lemon verbena pelargonium.

More about pelargonium 'mabel grey'

About Pelargonium 'Mabel Grey'

Pelargonium 'Mabel Grey' · also called Mabel Grey scented geranium, Lemon verbena pelargonium · herb

Pelargonium 'Mabel Grey' is regarded as having the strongest lemon scent of any scented-leaf pelargonium, with rough, deeply cut, sharply lemon-fragrant leaves and small mauve-pink flowers. An upright, vigorous tender perennial from cultivated parentage, it is grown for its intense citrus foliage used in cooking, teas and potpourri, and needs bright light with sharp drainage.

Cold limit: USDA 9-11 (frost-tender; overwinter indoors in cooler zones) · RHS H2 (10-24°C)

What pelargonium 'mabel grey''s hardiness rating actually means

Pelargonium 'Mabel Grey' 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 (frost-tender; overwinter indoors in cooler zones) — 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 'Mabel Grey' shrugs off cold nights but a real, sustained freeze will kill it.

Concretely, for pelargonium 'mabel grey' 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 'mabel grey' go outside or overwinter — and where?

It can live outside year-round only in the mildest, most sheltered part of USDA 9-11 (frost-tender; overwinter indoors in cooler zones) 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 'mabel grey' 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 'mabel grey'

Pelargonium 'Mabel Grey' 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 'Mabel Grey' hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is pelargonium 'mabel grey' cold hardy?

Pelargonium 'Mabel Grey' 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 (frost-tender; overwinter indoors in cooler zones) (and sheltered UK gardens) pelargonium 'mabel grey' 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 'mabel grey' can survive?

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

What hardiness zone is pelargonium 'mabel grey'?

Pelargonium 'Mabel Grey' is rated USDA 9-11 (frost-tender; overwinter indoors in cooler zones) and RHS H2 — Tender — survives a frost-free greenhouse or a very mild, sheltered spot.

Can pelargonium 'mabel grey' survive winter outside?

It can live outside year-round only in the mildest, most sheltered part of USDA 9-11 (frost-tender; overwinter indoors in cooler zones) 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 'mabel grey' 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.