Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Rumph's Pothos (Pothos rumphii)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Rumph Pothos, Tropical Pothos.

More about rumph's pothos

About Rumph's Pothos

Pothos rumphii · also called Rumph Pothos, Tropical Pothos · tropical

Pothos rumphii is a rare tropical aroid climber native to Southeast Asia, prized by collectors for its distinctive elongated leaves with prominent midrib. It thrives in warm, humid conditions with bright indirect light and well-draining soil. Keep out of reach of pets and children — all Pothos species contain calcium oxalate crystals that cause oral irritation.

Cold limit: USDA 11-12 (indoor-only in most homes) · RHS H1a (18-28°C)

What rumph's pothos's hardiness rating actually means

Rumph's Pothos 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 H1a means: Tropical — needs a heated room or greenhouse; no frost tolerance whatsoever. On the US scale that maps to USDA 11-12 (indoor-only in most homes) — 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 above about 15 °C (warm, never cold). Rumph's Pothos has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

Concretely, for rumph's pothos as it gets too cold:

Below about above about 15 °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 rumph's pothos go outside or overwinter — and where?

It can holiday outdoors in summer once nights are reliably above above 15 °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 rumph's pothos can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H1a figure above.

Rumph's Pothos hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is rumph's pothos cold hardy?

Rumph's Pothos 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. Rumph's Pothos can only live outside year-round in genuinely frost-free climates (roughly USDA 11-12 (indoor-only in most homes)); everywhere else it is a houseplant that summers out at most.

What is the minimum temperature rumph's pothos can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly above about 15 °C (warm, never cold). Rumph's Pothos has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

What hardiness zone is rumph's pothos?

Rumph's Pothos is rated USDA 11-12 (indoor-only in most homes) and RHS H1a — Tropical — needs a heated room or greenhouse; no frost tolerance whatsoever.

Can rumph's pothos survive winter outside?

It can holiday outdoors in summer once nights are reliably above above 15 °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 rumph's pothos below its minimum temperature?

Below about above about 15 °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.