Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Schaefer's Tylecodon (Tylecodon schaeferianus)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Schaefer's Tylecodon, Fairy Tale Plant.

More about schaefer's tylecodon

About Schaefer's Tylecodon

Tylecodon schaeferianus · also called Schaefer's Tylecodon, Fairy Tale Plant · houseplant

One of the smallest Tylecodon species — a miniature, multi-branched succulent forming dense tufted mounds of gnarled stems no more than 7 cm tall. Native to rocky coastal outcrops of northern Namibia and South Africa's Northern Cape. Winter-growing; bears pink or white flowers in late summer on leafless stems. Highly toxic — treat all Tylecodon as hazardous to pets and people.

Cold limit: USDA 10a–11b · RHS H1c (8–30 °C (optimal); can briefly tolerate -1 °C when dry)

What schaefer's tylecodon's hardiness rating actually means

Schaefer's Tylecodon 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 10a–11b — 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). Schaefer's Tylecodon has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

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

Schaefer's Tylecodon hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is schaefer's tylecodon cold hardy?

Schaefer's Tylecodon 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. Schaefer's Tylecodon can only live outside year-round in genuinely frost-free climates (roughly USDA 10a–11b); everywhere else it is a houseplant that summers out at most.

What is the minimum temperature schaefer's tylecodon can survive?

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

What hardiness zone is schaefer's tylecodon?

Schaefer's Tylecodon is rated USDA 10a–11b and RHS H1c — Warm-temperate — can summer outdoors but must come in well before the first frost.

Can schaefer's tylecodon 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 schaefer's tylecodon 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.