Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Pogostemon stellatus (Pogostemon stellatus)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called broadleaf star plant, Indian star plant.

More about pogostemon stellatus

About Pogostemon stellatus

Pogostemon stellatus · also called broadleaf star plant, Indian star plant · tropical

Broadleaf star plant is a vigorous tropical aquarium stem plant grown for showy whorls of narrow leaves that flush pink, orange and purple under strong light. Kept fully submerged it makes a tall, eye-catching background bush and grows quickly with CO2. It is a colourful but light- and nutrient-hungry aquascaping favourite.

Cold limit: USDA 10-11 (tropical aquatic; grown indoors in aquaria) (22-28°C)

What pogostemon stellatus's hardiness rating actually means

Pogostemon stellatus 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 10-11 (tropical aquatic; grown indoors in aquaria) — 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). Pogostemon stellatus has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

Concretely, for pogostemon stellatus 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 pogostemon stellatus 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 pogostemon stellatus can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H1c figure above.

Pogostemon stellatus hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is pogostemon stellatus cold hardy?

Pogostemon stellatus 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. Pogostemon stellatus can only live outside year-round in genuinely frost-free climates (roughly USDA 10-11 (tropical aquatic; grown indoors in aquaria)); everywhere else it is a houseplant that summers out at most.

What is the minimum temperature pogostemon stellatus can survive?

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

What hardiness zone is pogostemon stellatus?

Pogostemon stellatus is rated USDA 10-11 (tropical aquatic; grown indoors in aquaria) and RHS H1c — Warm-temperate — can summer outdoors but must come in well before the first frost.

Can pogostemon stellatus 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 pogostemon stellatus 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.