Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Stromanthe Sanguinea Multicolor (Stromanthe sanguinea 'Multicolor')cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called multicolor stromanthe, tricolor stromanthe.

More about stromanthe sanguinea multicolor

About Stromanthe Sanguinea Multicolor

Stromanthe sanguinea 'Multicolor' · also called multicolor stromanthe, tricolor stromanthe · tropical

A Brazilian prayer plant prized for variegated leaves splashed cream, green and pink, with burgundy undersides that flip up at night. It demands warmth, steady moisture and high humidity, punishing dry air and cold drafts with crisping edges. A pet-safe member of the Marantaceae, it thrives in bright indirect light away from harsh sun.

Cold limit: USDA 11-12 (grown as an indoor or warm-conservatory plant in most of the US and UK) · RHS H1b (18-27°C)

What stromanthe sanguinea multicolor's hardiness rating actually means

Stromanthe Sanguinea Multicolor 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 11-12 (grown as an indoor or warm-conservatory plant in most of the US and UK) — 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). Stromanthe Sanguinea Multicolor has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

Concretely, for stromanthe sanguinea multicolor 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 stromanthe sanguinea multicolor 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 stromanthe sanguinea multicolor can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H1b figure above.

Stromanthe Sanguinea Multicolor hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is stromanthe sanguinea multicolor cold hardy?

Stromanthe Sanguinea Multicolor 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. Stromanthe Sanguinea Multicolor can only live outside year-round in genuinely frost-free climates (roughly USDA 11-12 (grown as an indoor or warm-conservatory plant in most of the US and UK)); everywhere else it is a houseplant that summers out at most.

What is the minimum temperature stromanthe sanguinea multicolor can survive?

What hardiness zone is stromanthe sanguinea multicolor?

Stromanthe Sanguinea Multicolor is rated USDA 11-12 (grown as an indoor or warm-conservatory plant in most of the US and UK) and RHS H1b — Sub-tropical — a normal warm home is fine, but it cannot go outside in a cool season.

Can stromanthe sanguinea multicolor 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 stromanthe sanguinea multicolor 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.