Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Strawberry Begonia (Saxifraga stolonifera)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Strawberry Geranium, Creeping Saxifrage.

More about strawberry begonia

About Strawberry Begonia

Saxifraga stolonifera · also called Strawberry Geranium, Creeping Saxifrage · houseplant

Despite its name, Strawberry Begonia is neither a begonia nor a geranium but a saxifrage, grown for round, silver-veined hairy leaves and thread-like red runners that dangle baby plantlets like a strawberry. It tolerates cooler, lower-light spots than true begonias, makes a charming trailing or hanging plant, and is pet-safe.

Cold limit: USDA 6-9 (hardy outdoors in mild zones; houseplant elsewhere) · RHS H4 (10-24°C)

What strawberry begonia's hardiness rating actually means

Yes — strawberry begonia is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H4 and USDA 6-9 (hardy outdoors in mild zones; houseplant elsewhere), 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 6-9 (hardy outdoors in mild zones; houseplant elsewhere) — 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. Strawberry Begonia is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for strawberry begonia 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 strawberry begonia go outside or overwinter — and where?

Plant it out within USDA 6-9 (hardy outdoors in mild zones; houseplant elsewhere) 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 strawberry begonia can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H4 figure above.

Strawberry Begonia hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is strawberry begonia cold hardy?

Yes — strawberry begonia is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H4 and USDA 6-9 (hardy outdoors in mild zones; houseplant elsewhere), it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Strawberry Begonia is hardy across USDA 6-9 (hardy outdoors in mild zones; houseplant elsewhere); 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 strawberry begonia can survive?

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

What hardiness zone is strawberry begonia?

Strawberry Begonia is rated USDA 6-9 (hardy outdoors in mild zones; houseplant elsewhere) and RHS H4 — Hardy in an average winter across much of the temperate world.

Can strawberry begonia survive winter outside?

Plant it out within USDA 6-9 (hardy outdoors in mild zones; houseplant elsewhere) 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 strawberry begonia 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.