Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Plectranthus scutellarioides 'Freckles' (Plectranthus scutellarioides 'Freckles')cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Freckles Coleus, Spotted Coleus.

More about plectranthus scutellarioides 'freckles'

About Plectranthus scutellarioides 'Freckles'

Plectranthus scutellarioides 'Freckles' · also called Freckles Coleus, Spotted Coleus · flowering

Freckles is a distinctive coleus with apricot-to-yellow leaves boldly speckled and blotched in rusty red, giving a freckled appearance that varies leaf to leaf. A vigorous, sun-tolerant foliage plant for containers and beds, it grows fast and is easy to keep. Grown for its leaves rather than the small flowers. A tender perennial treated as an annual.

Cold limit: USDA 10-11 (grown as an annual in most zones) · RHS H1c (18-29°C)

What plectranthus scutellarioides 'freckles''s hardiness rating actually means

Hardiness works differently for plectranthus scutellarioides 'freckles': it is grown as a seasonal crop, not overwintered. The question is not "what zone" but "how long is your frost-free growing window". 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 10-11 (grown as an annual in most 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

As an annual crop, its "minimum temperature" is the first hard frost — that is the end of the plant's life, not a survivable low. Many types are also damaged by light frost (around 0 °C).

Concretely, for plectranthus scutellarioides 'freckles' as it gets too cold:

Light frost (around 0 to −2 °C) damages or kills tender summer crops outright; cold-hardy types take a few degrees of frost.
The plant does not "survive winter" — its life cycle simply ends, by design, when frost arrives or it finishes cropping.
A surprise late spring frost can also kill young transplants set out too early, before the season even starts.

Can plectranthus scutellarioides 'freckles' go outside or overwinter — and where?

Time it to your frost dates: sow or plant out after the last spring frost, and aim to harvest before the first autumn frost.
In short-season zones, start it indoors or under cover to stretch the effective growing window.
Hardier crops in this group can be sown for an autumn or overwintered harvest in mild zones — check the specific crop.

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

Frost protection for borderline plectranthus scutellarioides 'freckles'

Plectranthus scutellarioides 'Freckles' is right on a hardiness edge in many gardens, so if you are pushing it, these measures buy it the margin it needs:

Use fleece, cloches or a cold frame at each end of the season to dodge a borderline frost and add growing weeks.
Have row cover ready for an unexpected late spring or early autumn frost.
Know your local last- and first-frost dates and count back the crop’s days-to-maturity to schedule the sowing.

Plectranthus scutellarioides 'Freckles' hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is plectranthus scutellarioides 'freckles' cold hardy?

Hardiness works differently for plectranthus scutellarioides 'freckles': it is grown as a seasonal crop, not overwintered. The question is not "what zone" but "how long is your frost-free growing window". A seasonal crop, not a perennial. Plectranthus scutellarioides 'Freckles' is grown 10-11 (grown as an annual in most zones); you sow after the last frost and harvest before the first one, then start again next year.

What is the minimum temperature plectranthus scutellarioides 'freckles' can survive?

As an annual crop, its "minimum temperature" is the first hard frost — that is the end of the plant's life, not a survivable low. Many types are also damaged by light frost (around 0 °C).

What hardiness zone is plectranthus scutellarioides 'freckles'?

Plectranthus scutellarioides 'Freckles' is rated USDA 10-11 (grown as an annual in most zones) and RHS H1c — Warm-temperate — can summer outdoors but must come in well before the first frost.

Can plectranthus scutellarioides 'freckles' survive winter outside?

Time it to your frost dates: sow or plant out after the last spring frost, and aim to harvest before the first autumn frost. In short-season zones, start it indoors or under cover to stretch the effective growing window. Hardier crops in this group can be sown for an autumn or overwintered harvest in mild zones — check the specific crop.

How do I protect plectranthus scutellarioides 'freckles' from frost?

Use fleece, cloches or a cold frame at each end of the season to dodge a borderline frost and add growing weeks. Have row cover ready for an unexpected late spring or early autumn frost. Know your local last- and first-frost dates and count back the crop’s days-to-maturity to schedule the sowing.