Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is String of Hearts 'Silver Glory' (Ceropegia woodii 'Silver Glory')cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Silver Glory string of hearts, variegated chain of hearts.

More about string of hearts 'silver glory'

About String of Hearts 'Silver Glory'

Ceropegia woodii 'Silver Glory' · also called Silver Glory string of hearts, variegated chain of hearts · houseplant

'Silver Glory' is a selection of the trailing string of hearts prized for its heavily silver-marbled, heart-shaped leaves on thread-thin purple stems. This semi-succulent stores water in tuberous beads, so it tolerates neglect but rots if overwatered. Give it bright light to hold the silver pattern, and it cascades freely from a shelf or hanging pot.

Cold limit: USDA 10-12 (indoor in most US homes) · RHS H1c (18-26°C)

What string of hearts 'silver glory''s hardiness rating actually means

String of Hearts 'Silver Glory' 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 10-12 (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). String of Hearts 'Silver Glory' has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

Concretely, for string of hearts 'silver glory' 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 string of hearts 'silver glory' 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 string of hearts 'silver glory' can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H1c figure above.

String of Hearts 'Silver Glory' hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is string of hearts 'silver glory' cold hardy?

String of Hearts 'Silver Glory' 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. String of Hearts 'Silver Glory' can only live outside year-round in genuinely frost-free climates (roughly USDA 10-12 (indoor in most US homes)); everywhere else it is a houseplant that summers out at most.

What is the minimum temperature string of hearts 'silver glory' can survive?

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

What hardiness zone is string of hearts 'silver glory'?

String of Hearts 'Silver Glory' is rated USDA 10-12 (indoor in most US homes) and RHS H1c — Warm-temperate — can summer outdoors but must come in well before the first frost.

Can string of hearts 'silver glory' 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 string of hearts 'silver glory' 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.