Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is String of Turtles (Peperomia prostrata)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called String of Turtles, Trailing Peperomia, Mini Turtle Plant.

More about string of turtles

About String of Turtles

Peperomia prostrata · also called String of Turtles, Trailing Peperomia · houseplant

Peperomia prostrata is a delicate trailing semi-succulent native to the rainforests of South America, producing slender, cascading vines adorned with tiny round leaves patterned with silver-white veining that closely resembles a turtle's shell. It is slow-growing and thrives in high humidity with excellent drainage, making it a popular terrarium plant. The most important care point is to maintain consistent moisture without allowing the soil to become waterlogged, as its fine roots are highly prone to rot. The ASPCA considers the Peperomia genus non-toxic to cats and dogs.

Cold limit: USDA 10–12 (indoor in most climates) · RHS H1b (18–26°C)

What string of turtles's hardiness rating actually means

String of Turtles 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 H1b means: Sub-tropical — a normal warm home is fine, but it cannot go outside in a cool season. On the US scale that maps to USDA 10–12 (indoor in most climates) — 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 °C (sustained cold below this is damaging). String of Turtles has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

Concretely, for string of turtles as it gets too cold:

Below about about 10 °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 turtles go outside or overwinter — and where?

It can holiday outdoors in summer once nights are reliably above 10 °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 turtles can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H1b figure above.

String of Turtles hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is string of turtles cold hardy?

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

What is the minimum temperature string of turtles can survive?

What hardiness zone is string of turtles?

String of Turtles is rated USDA 10–12 (indoor in most climates) and RHS H1b — Sub-tropical — a normal warm home is fine, but it cannot go outside in a cool season.

Can string of turtles survive winter outside?

It can holiday outdoors in summer once nights are reliably above 10 °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 turtles below its minimum temperature?

Below about about 10 °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.