Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Quince 'Smyrna' (Cydonia oblonga 'Smyrna')cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Smyrna quince, Turkish quince.

More about quince 'smyrna'

About Quince 'Smyrna'

Cydonia oblonga 'Smyrna' · also called Smyrna quince, Turkish quince · edible

'Smyrna' is a vigorous, self-fertile Turkish quince grown for large, fragrant, golden pear-shaped fruit used in jellies, membrillo and slow-cooked desserts. A small deciduous tree, it crops reliably in full sun on moisture-retentive soil and needs roughly 300 winter chill hours below 7C to bloom and set well each season.

Cold limit: USDA 5-9 · RHS H5 (-25 to 30C (growing optimum 15-25C))

What quince 'smyrna''s hardiness rating actually means

Yes — quince 'smyrna' is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H5 and USDA 5-9, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. Its RHS rating of H5 means: Hardy in most of the UK and in cold winters. On the US scale that maps to USDA 5-9 — 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 −15 to −10 °C. Quince 'Smyrna' is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for quince 'smyrna' as it gets too cold:

It tolerates winter lows to about −15 to −10 °C once established.
Below its rated zone, the visible damage is browned or blackened top growth and, in the worst case, a killed crown or root.
First-year, newly planted, or container-grown specimens are noticeably less hardy than established garden plants — the roots are exposed.

Can quince 'smyrna' go outside or overwinter — and where?

Plant it out within USDA 5-9 and it overwinters with little or no help.
It does not want to come indoors — a warm winter room actually weakens a hardy plant by denying it dormancy.
The real risks in its range are waterlogging, wind-rock on young plants, and a late hard frost on new growth — not ordinary winter cold.

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 quince 'smyrna' can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H5 figure above.

Quince 'Smyrna' hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is quince 'smyrna' cold hardy?

Yes — quince 'smyrna' is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H5 and USDA 5-9, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Quince 'Smyrna' is hardy across USDA 5-9; it belongs in the ground or a frost-proof container, not on a windowsill, and many types actively need a cold winter to perform.

What is the minimum temperature quince 'smyrna' can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −15 to −10 °C. Quince 'Smyrna' is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

What hardiness zone is quince 'smyrna'?

Quince 'Smyrna' is rated USDA 5-9 and RHS H5 — Hardy in most of the UK and in cold winters.

Can quince 'smyrna' survive winter outside?

Plant it out within USDA 5-9 and it overwinters with little or no help. It does not want to come indoors — a warm winter room actually weakens a hardy plant by denying it dormancy. The real risks in its range are waterlogging, wind-rock on young plants, and a late hard frost on new growth — not ordinary winter cold.

What happens to quince 'smyrna' below its minimum temperature?

It tolerates winter lows to about −15 to −10 °C once established. Below its rated zone, the visible damage is browned or blackened top growth and, in the worst case, a killed crown or root. First-year, newly planted, or container-grown specimens are noticeably less hardy than established garden plants — the roots are exposed.