Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Stonecrop-leaf Aichryson (Aichryson sedifolium)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Stonecrop-leaf Aichryson, Miniature Canary Island Succulent.

More about stonecrop-leaf aichryson

About Stonecrop-leaf Aichryson

Aichryson sedifolium · also called Stonecrop-leaf Aichryson, Miniature Canary Island Succulent · houseplant

A compact, densely branched succulent subshrub endemic to Tenerife and La Gomera in the Canary Islands, bearing small rosettes of glossy, pale green to yellowish leaves with distinctive reddish lines near the tips. It grows actively in cool months and semi-rests in summer. Undemanding on a bright windowsill and an appealing choice for miniature succulent gardens.

Cold limit: USDA 10–11 · RHS H1c (8–28°C)

Watch for — Leggy, sparse growth in low light: Insufficient light causes the branches to elongate and lose their compact, rosette-tipped form. Move to a brighter position or supplement with a grow light in winter.

What stonecrop-leaf aichryson's hardiness rating actually means

Stonecrop-leaf Aichryson 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 — 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). Stonecrop-leaf Aichryson has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

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

Stonecrop-leaf Aichryson hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is stonecrop-leaf aichryson cold hardy?

Stonecrop-leaf Aichryson 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. Stonecrop-leaf Aichryson can only live outside year-round in genuinely frost-free climates (roughly USDA 10–11); everywhere else it is a houseplant that summers out at most.

What is the minimum temperature stonecrop-leaf aichryson can survive?

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

What hardiness zone is stonecrop-leaf aichryson?

Stonecrop-leaf Aichryson is rated USDA 10–11 and RHS H1c — Warm-temperate — can summer outdoors but must come in well before the first frost.

Can stonecrop-leaf aichryson 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 stonecrop-leaf aichryson 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.