Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Ric Rac Cactus (Disocactus anguliger)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Ric rac cactus, Fishbone cactus, Zigzag cactus, Fishbone orchid cactus, St Anthony's rik-rak.

More about ric rac cactus

About Ric Rac Cactus

Disocactus anguliger · also called Ric rac cactus, Fishbone cactus · houseplant

The ric rac cactus is an epiphytic jungle cactus from the cloud forests of Chiapas, Mexico, prized for its flat, deeply notched zigzag stems that trail like fishbones. Unlike desert cacti, its defining need is bright but indirect light with a freely draining yet moisture-retentive mix that is watered when the top few centimetres dry out.

Cold limit: USDA 10-11 · RHS H1B (frost tender; keep above about 10°C) (15-25°C)

Watch for — No flowers: Plants need to be mature (often 3-6 years from a cutting) and require a cool, drier winter rest at around 11-14°C to set buds. Kept warm and watered year-round, a healthy plant will grow happily but stubbornly refuse to bloom.

What ric rac cactus's hardiness rating actually means

Ric Rac Cactus 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 — 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). Ric Rac Cactus has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

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

Ric Rac Cactus hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is ric rac cactus cold hardy?

Ric Rac Cactus 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. Ric Rac Cactus can only live outside year-round in genuinely frost-free climates (roughly USDA 10-11); everywhere else it is a houseplant that summers out at most.

What is the minimum temperature ric rac cactus can survive?

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

What hardiness zone is ric rac cactus?

Ric Rac Cactus is rated USDA 10-11 and RHS H1c — Warm-temperate — can summer outdoors but must come in well before the first frost.

Can ric rac cactus 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 ric rac cactus 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.