Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Philodendron 'White Princess' (Philodendron 'White Princess')cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called White Princess Philodendron, White Princess, White Ice Philodendron.

More about philodendron 'white princess'

About Philodendron 'White Princess'

Philodendron 'White Princess' · also called White Princess Philodendron, White Princess · tropical

Philodendron 'White Princess' is a slow-growing tropical aroid prized for variegated leaves splashed with white, cream, and occasional pink. It wants bright indirect light, a chunky well-draining aroid mix, watering when the top inch dries, and high humidity. Like all philodendrons it is toxic to cats and dogs (ASPCA), so keep it out of reach.

Cold limit: USDA USDA zones 10-11 (outdoors); grown as an indoor houseplant elsewhere. (18-29 C)

What philodendron 'white princess''s hardiness rating actually means

Philodendron 'White Princess' is not cold hardy. It is a tropical houseplant that dies if it is left out through frost — there is no zone where it overwinters outdoors in a UK or cold-US climate. Its RHS rating of H1c means: Warm-temperate — can summer outdoors but must come in well before the first frost. On the US scale that maps to USDA USDA zones 10-11 (outdoors); grown as an indoor houseplant elsewhere. — 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 5 °C (and never frost). Philodendron 'White Princess' has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

Concretely, for philodendron 'white princess' as it gets too cold:

Below about about 5 °C, growth stalls and the leaves start to show cold stress — dark, water-soaked, or yellowing patches.
A single light frost blackens the foliage; a hard freeze kills the whole plant, roots included, and it does not recover.
Even a cold, draughty windowsill or an unheated porch in winter can be enough to damage it permanently.

Can philodendron 'white princess' go outside or overwinter — and where?

It can holiday outdoors in summer once nights are reliably above 5 °C, in shade or dappled light, hardened off gradually.
Bring it back indoors well before the first autumn frost — do not wait for a frost warning, move it when nights drop toward 10-12 °C.
It will never overwinter outside in a temperate climate; the indoors is its winter home, full stop.

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 philodendron 'white princess' can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H1c figure above.

Philodendron 'White Princess' hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is philodendron 'white princess' cold hardy?

Philodendron 'White Princess' is not cold hardy. It is a tropical houseplant that dies if it is left out through frost — there is no zone where it overwinters outdoors in a UK or cold-US climate. Indoor-only in almost every home. Philodendron 'White Princess' can only live outside year-round in genuinely frost-free climates (roughly USDA USDA zones 10-11 (outdoors); grown as an indoor houseplant elsewhere.); everywhere else it is a houseplant that summers out at most.

What is the minimum temperature philodendron 'white princess' can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about 5 °C (and never frost). Philodendron 'White Princess' has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

What hardiness zone is philodendron 'white princess'?

Philodendron 'White Princess' is rated USDA USDA zones 10-11 (outdoors); grown as an indoor houseplant elsewhere. and RHS H1c — Warm-temperate — can summer outdoors but must come in well before the first frost.

Can philodendron 'white princess' survive winter outside?

It can holiday outdoors in summer once nights are reliably above 5 °C, in shade or dappled light, hardened off gradually. Bring it back indoors well before the first autumn frost — do not wait for a frost warning, move it when nights drop toward 10-12 °C. It will never overwinter outside in a temperate climate; the indoors is its winter home, full stop.

What happens to philodendron 'white princess' below its minimum temperature?

Below about about 5 °C, growth stalls and the leaves start to show cold stress — dark, water-soaked, or yellowing patches. A single light frost blackens the foliage; a hard freeze kills the whole plant, roots included, and it does not recover. Even a cold, draughty windowsill or an unheated porch in winter can be enough to damage it permanently.