Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Pilea 'Silver Tree' (Pilea spruceana 'Silver Tree') (Pilea spruceana 'Silver Tree')cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Silver tree pilea, silver tree, silver leaf artillery plant, Pilea spruceana.

More about pilea 'silver tree' (pilea spruceana 'silver tree')

About Pilea 'Silver Tree' (Pilea spruceana 'Silver Tree')

Pilea spruceana 'Silver Tree' · also called Silver tree pilea, silver tree · houseplant

Pilea 'Silver Tree' is a compact tropical houseplant from South America, grown for quilted bronze-green leaves crossed by a silver central band. Give it bright indirect light, water when the top inch dries, warmth of 18-24C and moderate-to-high humidity. The ASPCA-clean Pilea genus means it is treated as pet-safe.

Cold limit: USDA 9-11 (a tender tropical grown as a houseplant in cooler climates; not frost-hardy) (18-24C)

Watch for — Brown, crispy leaf tips and edges: Usually a sign of low humidity or the soil drying out completely, especially in heated winter rooms. Raise humidity with a pebble tray, humidifier or terrarium and keep watering even rather than letting it bone-dry.

What pilea 'silver tree' (pilea spruceana 'silver tree')'s hardiness rating actually means

Pilea 'Silver Tree' (Pilea spruceana 'Silver Tree') 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 (a tender tropical grown as a houseplant in cooler climates; not frost-hardy) — 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. Pilea 'Silver Tree' (Pilea spruceana 'Silver Tree') shrugs off cold nights but a real, sustained freeze will kill it.

Concretely, for pilea 'silver tree' (pilea spruceana 'silver tree') 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 pilea 'silver tree' (pilea spruceana 'silver tree') go outside or overwinter — and where?

It can live outside year-round only in the mildest, most sheltered part of USDA 9-11 (a tender tropical grown as a houseplant in cooler climates; not frost-hardy) 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 pilea 'silver tree' (pilea spruceana 'silver tree') 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 pilea 'silver tree' (pilea spruceana 'silver tree')

Pilea 'Silver Tree' (Pilea spruceana 'Silver Tree') 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.

Pilea 'Silver Tree' (Pilea spruceana 'Silver Tree') hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is pilea 'silver tree' (pilea spruceana 'silver tree') cold hardy?

Pilea 'Silver Tree' (Pilea spruceana 'Silver Tree') 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 (a tender tropical grown as a houseplant in cooler climates; not frost-hardy) (and sheltered UK gardens) pilea 'silver tree' (pilea spruceana 'silver tree') can stay out; in colder areas it must be lifted, brought in, or treated as a frost-tender plant.

What is the minimum temperature pilea 'silver tree' (pilea spruceana 'silver tree') can survive?

What hardiness zone is pilea 'silver tree' (pilea spruceana 'silver tree')?

Pilea 'Silver Tree' (Pilea spruceana 'Silver Tree') is rated USDA 9-11 (a tender tropical grown as a houseplant in cooler climates; not frost-hardy) and RHS H2 — Tender — survives a frost-free greenhouse or a very mild, sheltered spot.

Can pilea 'silver tree' (pilea spruceana 'silver tree') survive winter outside?

It can live outside year-round only in the mildest, most sheltered part of USDA 9-11 (a tender tropical grown as a houseplant in cooler climates; not frost-hardy) 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 pilea 'silver tree' (pilea spruceana 'silver tree') 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.