Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Raven ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia 'Raven')cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Raven ZZ Plant, Black ZZ Plant, Zanzibar Gem Raven.

More about raven zz plant

About Raven ZZ Plant

Zamioculcas zamiifolia 'Raven' · also called Raven ZZ Plant, Black ZZ Plant · houseplant

A striking cultivar of the classic ZZ plant whose new leaves emerge bright lime-green then gradually deepen to near-black as they mature, creating a dramatic two-tone effect. Exceptionally drought-tolerant thanks to water-storing rhizomes, it thrives in low light and suits almost any indoor environment. Slow-growing but nearly indestructible.

Cold limit: USDA 9–11 · RHS H1b (15–30°C)

What raven zz plant's hardiness rating actually means

Raven ZZ Plant 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 H1b means: Sub-tropical — a normal warm home is fine, but it cannot go outside in a cool season. On the US scale that maps to USDA 9–11 — 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 10 °C (sustained cold below this is damaging). Raven ZZ Plant has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

Concretely, for raven zz plant as it gets too cold:

Below about about 10 °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 raven zz plant go outside or overwinter — and where?

It can holiday outdoors in summer once nights are reliably above 10 °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 raven zz plant can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H1b figure above.

Raven ZZ Plant hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is raven zz plant cold hardy?

Raven ZZ Plant 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. Raven ZZ Plant can only live outside year-round in genuinely frost-free climates (roughly USDA 9–11); everywhere else it is a houseplant that summers out at most.

What is the minimum temperature raven zz plant can survive?

What hardiness zone is raven zz plant?

Raven ZZ Plant is rated USDA 9–11 and RHS H1b — Sub-tropical — a normal warm home is fine, but it cannot go outside in a cool season.

Can raven zz plant survive winter outside?

It can holiday outdoors in summer once nights are reliably above 10 °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 raven zz plant below its minimum temperature?

Below about about 10 °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.