Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Stapelia flavopurpurea (Stapelia flavopurpurea)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called yellow-purple stapelia.

More about stapelia flavopurpurea

About Stapelia flavopurpurea

Stapelia flavopurpurea · also called yellow-purple stapelia · houseplant

Stapelia flavopurpurea is a compact South African stem succulent prized among stapeliad growers for unusually small yellow flowers with crinkled purple-marked centres that, unlike most relatives, often smell pleasantly of beeswax rather than carrion. Its slender grey-green stems clump tightly. Treat it as a desert succulent: bright light, gritty soil, and a near-dry winter rest.

Cold limit: USDA 10-11 (indoor in most US homes) · RHS H1c (18-27°C)

Watch for — Root and stem rot: Overwatering, especially in cool weather, turns stems soft and brown. Use very gritty mix, water only when bone-dry, and keep nearly dry in winter to prevent collapse.

What stapelia flavopurpurea's hardiness rating actually means

Stapelia flavopurpurea 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 (indoor in most US homes) — 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). Stapelia flavopurpurea has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

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

Stapelia flavopurpurea hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is stapelia flavopurpurea cold hardy?

Stapelia flavopurpurea 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. Stapelia flavopurpurea can only live outside year-round in genuinely frost-free climates (roughly USDA 10-11 (indoor in most US homes)); everywhere else it is a houseplant that summers out at most.

What is the minimum temperature stapelia flavopurpurea can survive?

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

What hardiness zone is stapelia flavopurpurea?

Stapelia flavopurpurea is rated USDA 10-11 (indoor in most US homes) and RHS H1c — Warm-temperate — can summer outdoors but must come in well before the first frost.

Can stapelia flavopurpurea 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 stapelia flavopurpurea 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.