Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Jelly Bean Plant (Pork and Beans) (Sedum × rubrotinctum)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Jelly bean plant, Pork and beans, Jelly beans, Christmas cheer.

More about jelly bean plant (pork and beans)

About Jelly Bean Plant (Pork and Beans)

Sedum × rubrotinctum · also called Jelly bean plant, Pork and beans · houseplant

The jelly bean plant (Sedum rubrotinctum) is an easy, sun-loving succulent whose plump, bean-shaped leaves blush red in bright light. Give it strong light, gritty fast-draining soil, and infrequent soak-and-dry watering. It is mildly toxic: the sap can irritate skin and stomachs, so keep it away from curious pets and children.

Cold limit: USDA USDA zones 9-11 (grow as a houseplant or move indoors in colder zones; brief frost tolerance only to about -1°C / 30°F) (15-30°C (ideal 18-27°C))

What jelly bean plant (pork and beans)'s hardiness rating actually means

Jelly Bean Plant (Pork and Beans) is half-hardy (RHS H2). It survives a mild winter outdoors in a sheltered spot, but a hard frost kills it — so in colder zones it is lifted, potted, or grown as a tender plant. Its RHS rating of H2 means: Tender — survives a frost-free greenhouse or a very mild, sheltered spot. On the US scale that maps to USDA USDA zones 9-11 (grow as a houseplant or move indoors in colder zones; brief frost tolerance only to about -1°C / 30°F) — 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 1 to 5 °C — tolerates cold but no real frost. Jelly Bean Plant (Pork and Beans) shrugs off cold nights but a real, sustained freeze will kill it.

Concretely, for jelly bean plant (pork and beans) as it gets too cold:

Down to roughly about 1 to 5 °C it copes, especially if dry and sheltered.
A sustained hard frost collapses the top growth; whether it returns depends on whether the roots, crown or tubers froze.
Wet cold is far more lethal than dry cold for this plant — soggy, frozen soil is the usual killer.

Can jelly bean plant (pork and beans) go outside or overwinter — and where?

It can live outside year-round only in the mildest, most sheltered part of USDA USDA zones 9-11 (grow as a houseplant or move indoors in colder zones; brief frost tolerance only to about -1°C / 30°F) or a frost-free UK microclimate.
In colder zones, grow it in a pot you can move under cover, or lift its tubers/roots and store them frost-free over winter.
A south-facing wall, free-draining soil and a dry winter position can push it a full zone hardier than the books suggest.

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 jelly bean plant (pork and beans) can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H2 figure above.

Frost protection for borderline jelly bean plant (pork and beans)

Jelly Bean Plant (Pork and Beans) is right on a hardiness edge in many gardens, so if you are pushing it, these measures buy it the margin it needs:

Mulch the crown or root zone deeply with bark, straw or leaf-mould before the first hard frost.
Move container plants against a warm wall or into an unheated but frost-free porch or greenhouse.
Fleece the top growth on the coldest nights, and keep it on the dry side — dry roots survive cold far better than wet ones.
Lift dahlia-type tubers or tender crowns after the first light frost blackens the foliage and store them somewhere cool but frost-free.

Jelly Bean Plant (Pork and Beans) hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is jelly bean plant (pork and beans) cold hardy?

Jelly Bean Plant (Pork and Beans) is half-hardy (RHS H2). It survives a mild winter outdoors in a sheltered spot, but a hard frost kills it — so in colder zones it is lifted, potted, or grown as a tender plant. Borderline outdoors. In its mild end of USDA USDA zones 9-11 (grow as a houseplant or move indoors in colder zones; brief frost tolerance only to about -1°C / 30°F) (and sheltered UK gardens) jelly bean plant (pork and beans) can stay out; in colder areas it must be lifted, brought in, or treated as a frost-tender plant.

What is the minimum temperature jelly bean plant (pork and beans) can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about 1 to 5 °C — tolerates cold but no real frost. Jelly Bean Plant (Pork and Beans) shrugs off cold nights but a real, sustained freeze will kill it.

What hardiness zone is jelly bean plant (pork and beans)?

Jelly Bean Plant (Pork and Beans) is rated USDA USDA zones 9-11 (grow as a houseplant or move indoors in colder zones; brief frost tolerance only to about -1°C / 30°F) and RHS H2 — Tender — survives a frost-free greenhouse or a very mild, sheltered spot.

Can jelly bean plant (pork and beans) survive winter outside?

It can live outside year-round only in the mildest, most sheltered part of USDA USDA zones 9-11 (grow as a houseplant or move indoors in colder zones; brief frost tolerance only to about -1°C / 30°F) or a frost-free UK microclimate. In colder zones, grow it in a pot you can move under cover, or lift its tubers/roots and store them frost-free over winter. A south-facing wall, free-draining soil and a dry winter position can push it a full zone hardier than the books suggest.

How do I protect jelly bean plant (pork and beans) from frost?

Mulch the crown or root zone deeply with bark, straw or leaf-mould before the first hard frost. Move container plants against a warm wall or into an unheated but frost-free porch or greenhouse. Fleece the top growth on the coldest nights, and keep it on the dry side — dry roots survive cold far better than wet ones. Lift dahlia-type tubers or tender crowns after the first light frost blackens the foliage and store them somewhere cool but frost-free.