Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Two-Row Stonecrop (Sedum spurium)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Two-Row Stonecrop, Caucasian Stonecrop, Running Stonecrop.

More about two-row stonecrop

About Two-Row Stonecrop

Sedum spurium · also called Two-Row Stonecrop, Caucasian Stonecrop · flowering

Sedum spurium is a low, mat-forming stonecrop native to the Caucasus, producing semi-evergreen, opposite leaves arranged in two distinct rows along trailing stems. Flat clusters of starry pink-to-magenta flowers appear in mid-to-late summer. Excellent as drought-tolerant ground cover in sunny, well-drained spots, cascading over walls or filling gravel gardens.

Cold limit: USDA 3-9 · RHS H7 (-34 to 30°C)

Watch for — Root and crown rot: The primary cause of death. Heavy clay soil or persistent winter wet kills the crown. Always plant in well-drained or gritty soil and avoid mulching over the crown.

What two-row stonecrop's hardiness rating actually means

Yes — two-row stonecrop is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H7 and USDA 3-9, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. Its RHS rating of H7 means: Hardy in the severest European continental winters. On the US scale that maps to USDA 3-9 — 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 below about −20 °C. Two-Row Stonecrop is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for two-row stonecrop as it gets too cold:

It tolerates winter lows to about −20 °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 two-row stonecrop go outside or overwinter — and where?

Plant it out within USDA 3-9 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 two-row stonecrop can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H7 figure above.

Two-Row Stonecrop hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is two-row stonecrop cold hardy?

Yes — two-row stonecrop is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H7 and USDA 3-9, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Two-Row Stonecrop is hardy across USDA 3-9; 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 two-row stonecrop can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly below about −20 °C. Two-Row Stonecrop is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

What hardiness zone is two-row stonecrop?

Two-Row Stonecrop is rated USDA 3-9 and RHS H7 — Hardy in the severest European continental winters.

Can two-row stonecrop survive winter outside?

Plant it out within USDA 3-9 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 two-row stonecrop below its minimum temperature?

It tolerates winter lows to about −20 °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.