Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Short-leaved Deuterocohnia (Deuterocohnia brevifolia)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Short-leaved Deuterocohnia, Short-leaved Abromeitiella, Cushion Bromeliad.

More about short-leaved deuterocohnia

About Short-leaved Deuterocohnia

Deuterocohnia brevifolia · also called Short-leaved Deuterocohnia, Short-leaved Abromeitiella · tropical

Deuterocohnia brevifolia (syn. Abromeitiella brevifolia) is a slow-growing terrestrial bromeliad from the high Andean valleys of Bolivia and Argentina, where it forms extensive, cushion-like mounds of tiny, fleshy rosettes at altitudes up to 3,000 m. It is among the cold-hardiest bromeliads in cultivation, surviving brief frosts if kept dry, but it detests standing water on its foliage during cold weather. The most important care point is sharp drainage and minimal winter watering. Bromeliads as a family are considered non-toxic to pets by the ASPCA.

Cold limit: USDA 9b-11 · RHS H3 (-4°C to 35°C)

Watch for — Rot from winter moisture: Water trapped within the tight cushion in cool, overcast conditions causes blackening and collapse of rosettes. Keep the cushion surface dry from October to March; grow in a cold frame or under glass with the lid open on dry days to maintain airflow.

What short-leaved deuterocohnia's hardiness rating actually means

Short-leaved Deuterocohnia is half-hardy (RHS H3). 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 H3 means: Half-hardy — comes through mild UK winters outside but is killed by a hard freeze. On the US scale that maps to USDA 9b-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 to 1 °C — a light, short frost only. Short-leaved Deuterocohnia shrugs off cold nights but a real, sustained freeze will kill it.

Concretely, for short-leaved deuterocohnia as it gets too cold:

Down to roughly about −5 to 1 °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 short-leaved deuterocohnia go outside or overwinter — and where?

It can live outside year-round only in the mildest, most sheltered part of USDA 9b-11 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 short-leaved deuterocohnia can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H3 figure above.

Frost protection for borderline short-leaved deuterocohnia

Short-leaved Deuterocohnia 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.

Short-leaved Deuterocohnia hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is short-leaved deuterocohnia cold hardy?

Short-leaved Deuterocohnia is half-hardy (RHS H3). 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 9b-11 (and sheltered UK gardens) short-leaved deuterocohnia can stay out; in colder areas it must be lifted, brought in, or treated as a frost-tender plant.

What is the minimum temperature short-leaved deuterocohnia can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −5 to 1 °C — a light, short frost only. Short-leaved Deuterocohnia shrugs off cold nights but a real, sustained freeze will kill it.

What hardiness zone is short-leaved deuterocohnia?

Short-leaved Deuterocohnia is rated USDA 9b-11 and RHS H3 — Half-hardy — comes through mild UK winters outside but is killed by a hard freeze.

Can short-leaved deuterocohnia survive winter outside?

It can live outside year-round only in the mildest, most sheltered part of USDA 9b-11 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 short-leaved deuterocohnia 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.