Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Ping Pong Purple globe amaranth (Gomphrena globosa 'Ping Pong Purple')cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Ping Pong Purple globe amaranth, Ping Pong Purple gomphrena.

More about ping pong purple globe amaranth

About Ping Pong Purple globe amaranth

Gomphrena globosa 'Ping Pong Purple' · also called Ping Pong Purple globe amaranth, Ping Pong Purple gomphrena · flowering

A compact, mounded globe amaranth bearing large, vivid purple spherical flowerheads on neat 30–40 cm plants. The 'Ping Pong' series is bred for uniformity, larger blooms, and exceptional heat and drought tolerance. Superb for edging, containers, and mixed borders; blooms freely from summer through frost without deadheading.

Cold limit: USDA 2–11 (grown as annual) · RHS H2 (18–38°C)

Watch for — Faded bloom colour in extreme heat: Prolonged temperatures above 38°C can bleach the purple pigment. Light afternoon shade during heat waves helps maintain colour; regular irrigation also reduces heat stress.

What ping pong purple globe amaranth's hardiness rating actually means

Ping Pong Purple globe amaranth 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 2–11 (grown as annual) — 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. Ping Pong Purple globe amaranth shrugs off cold nights but a real, sustained freeze will kill it.

Concretely, for ping pong purple globe amaranth 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 ping pong purple globe amaranth go outside or overwinter — and where?

It can live outside year-round only in the mildest, most sheltered part of USDA 2–11 (grown as annual) 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 ping pong purple globe amaranth 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 ping pong purple globe amaranth

Ping Pong Purple globe amaranth 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.

Ping Pong Purple globe amaranth hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is ping pong purple globe amaranth cold hardy?

Ping Pong Purple globe amaranth 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 2–11 (grown as annual) (and sheltered UK gardens) ping pong purple globe amaranth can stay out; in colder areas it must be lifted, brought in, or treated as a frost-tender plant.

What is the minimum temperature ping pong purple globe amaranth can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about 1 to 5 °C — tolerates cold but no real frost. Ping Pong Purple globe amaranth shrugs off cold nights but a real, sustained freeze will kill it.

What hardiness zone is ping pong purple globe amaranth?

Ping Pong Purple globe amaranth is rated USDA 2–11 (grown as annual) and RHS H2 — Tender — survives a frost-free greenhouse or a very mild, sheltered spot.

Can ping pong purple globe amaranth survive winter outside?

It can live outside year-round only in the mildest, most sheltered part of USDA 2–11 (grown as annual) 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 ping pong purple globe amaranth 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.