Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Physocarpus opulifolius 'Little Devil' (Physocarpus opulifolius 'Donna May' (Little Devil))cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Little Devil ninebark, dwarf purple ninebark.

More about physocarpus opulifolius 'little devil'

About Physocarpus opulifolius 'Little Devil'

Physocarpus opulifolius 'Donna May' (Little Devil) · also called Little Devil ninebark, dwarf purple ninebark · flowering

'Little Devil' is a true dwarf ninebark, a neat mound of small, deep burgundy leaves topped with pinkish-white flower clusters in early summer. Its compact size and fine texture suit small gardens, borders and containers, and it shows good mildew resistance. Extremely hardy and adaptable, it holds the richest colour in full sun on most well-worked soils.

Cold limit: USDA 3-7 · RHS H7 (-37 to 32°C)

What physocarpus opulifolius 'little devil''s hardiness rating actually means

Yes — physocarpus opulifolius 'little devil' is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H7 and USDA 3-7, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. Its RHS rating of H7 means: Hardy in the severest European continental winters. On the US scale that maps to USDA 3-7 — 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 below about −20 °C. Physocarpus opulifolius 'Little Devil' is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for physocarpus opulifolius 'little devil' as it gets too cold:

It tolerates winter lows to about −20 °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 physocarpus opulifolius 'little devil' go outside or overwinter — and where?

Plant it out within USDA 3-7 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 physocarpus opulifolius 'little devil' can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H7 figure above.

Physocarpus opulifolius 'Little Devil' hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is physocarpus opulifolius 'little devil' cold hardy?

Yes — physocarpus opulifolius 'little devil' is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H7 and USDA 3-7, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Physocarpus opulifolius 'Little Devil' is hardy across USDA 3-7; 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 physocarpus opulifolius 'little devil' can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly below about −20 °C. Physocarpus opulifolius 'Little Devil' is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

What hardiness zone is physocarpus opulifolius 'little devil'?

Physocarpus opulifolius 'Little Devil' is rated USDA 3-7 and RHS H7 — Hardy in the severest European continental winters.

Can physocarpus opulifolius 'little devil' survive winter outside?

Plant it out within USDA 3-7 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 physocarpus opulifolius 'little devil' below its minimum temperature?

It tolerates winter lows to about −20 °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.