Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Stardust Ice Plant (Delosperma floribundum)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Stardust Ice Plant, Floriferous Ice Plant, Pink Ice Plant.

More about stardust ice plant

About Stardust Ice Plant

Delosperma floribundum · also called Stardust Ice Plant, Floriferous Ice Plant · flowering

Delosperma floribundum 'Stardust' is a low, spreading perennial succulent that produces masses of soft lilac-pink, daisy-like flowers with bright white centres from late spring through autumn. Forming a dense mat about 10 cm tall, it thrives in full sun with sharply drained soil and is drought-tolerant once established — ideal for sunny borders and rock gardens.

Cold limit: USDA 5–9 · RHS H4 (-15°C to 38°C)

Watch for — Root and crown rot in wet conditions: The most common cause of death. Standing water, especially in winter, quickly rots crowns and roots. Improve drainage and cut watering to near-zero through cold months.

What stardust ice plant's hardiness rating actually means

Yes — stardust ice plant is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H4 and USDA 5–9, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. Its RHS rating of H4 means: Hardy in an average winter across much of the temperate world. On the US scale that maps to USDA 5–9 — 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 −10 to −5 °C. Stardust Ice Plant is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for stardust ice plant as it gets too cold:

It tolerates winter lows to about −10 to −5 °C once established.
Below its rated zone, the visible damage is browned or blackened top growth and, in the worst case, a killed crown or root.
First-year, newly planted, or container-grown specimens are noticeably less hardy than established garden plants — the roots are exposed.

Can stardust ice plant go outside or overwinter — and where?

Plant it out within USDA 5–9 and it overwinters with little or no help.
It does not want to come indoors — a warm winter room actually weakens a hardy plant by denying it dormancy.
The real risks in its range are waterlogging, wind-rock on young plants, and a late hard frost on new growth — not ordinary winter cold.

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 stardust ice plant can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H4 figure above.

Stardust Ice Plant hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is stardust ice plant cold hardy?

Yes — stardust ice plant is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H4 and USDA 5–9, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Stardust Ice Plant is hardy across USDA 5–9; it belongs in the ground or a frost-proof container, not on a windowsill, and many types actively need a cold winter to perform.

What is the minimum temperature stardust ice plant can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −10 to −5 °C. Stardust Ice Plant is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

What hardiness zone is stardust ice plant?

Stardust Ice Plant is rated USDA 5–9 and RHS H4 — Hardy in an average winter across much of the temperate world.

Can stardust ice plant survive winter outside?

Plant it out within USDA 5–9 and it overwinters with little or no help. It does not want to come indoors — a warm winter room actually weakens a hardy plant by denying it dormancy. The real risks in its range are waterlogging, wind-rock on young plants, and a late hard frost on new growth — not ordinary winter cold.

What happens to stardust ice plant below its minimum temperature?

It tolerates winter lows to about −10 to −5 °C once established. Below its rated zone, the visible damage is browned or blackened top growth and, in the worst case, a killed crown or root. First-year, newly planted, or container-grown specimens are noticeably less hardy than established garden plants — the roots are exposed.