Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Scindapsus Treubii 'Dark Form' (Scindapsus treubii 'Dark Form')cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Dark Form Scindapsus, Sterling Silver Scindapsus (Dark Form), Treubii Dark Form.

More about scindapsus treubii 'dark form'

About Scindapsus Treubii 'Dark Form'

Scindapsus treubii 'Dark Form' · also called Dark Form Scindapsus, Sterling Silver Scindapsus (Dark Form) · houseplant

Scindapsus treubii 'Dark Form' is a slow-growing tropical aroid vine prized for thick, near-black lance-shaped leaves. Give it bright indirect light, let the top 2-3 inches of soil dry between waterings, and keep it warm and humid. It is toxic to cats and dogs (insoluble calcium oxalates), so keep it out of reach.

Cold limit: USDA 10-12 (outdoors); grown as a houseplant elsewhere (18-29°C)

Watch for — Slow or stalled growth: Largely normal for this species, which is a naturally slow grower. Cool temperatures (below 15°C/60°F), low light, or winter dormancy slow it further, so keep it warm and bright.

What scindapsus treubii 'dark form''s hardiness rating actually means

Scindapsus Treubii 'Dark Form' 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 10-12 (outdoors); grown as a houseplant elsewhere — 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). Scindapsus Treubii 'Dark Form' has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

Concretely, for scindapsus treubii 'dark form' 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 scindapsus treubii 'dark form' 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 scindapsus treubii 'dark form' can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H1c figure above.

Scindapsus Treubii 'Dark Form' hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is scindapsus treubii 'dark form' cold hardy?

Scindapsus Treubii 'Dark Form' 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. Scindapsus Treubii 'Dark Form' can only live outside year-round in genuinely frost-free climates (roughly USDA 10-12 (outdoors); grown as a houseplant elsewhere); everywhere else it is a houseplant that summers out at most.

What is the minimum temperature scindapsus treubii 'dark form' can survive?

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

What hardiness zone is scindapsus treubii 'dark form'?

Scindapsus Treubii 'Dark Form' is rated USDA 10-12 (outdoors); grown as a houseplant elsewhere and RHS H1c — Warm-temperate — can summer outdoors but must come in well before the first frost.

Can scindapsus treubii 'dark form' 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 scindapsus treubii 'dark form' 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.