Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Upright Hedge Parsley (Torilis japonica)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Upright Hedge Parsley, Japanese Hedge Parsley, Erect Hedgeparsley.

More about upright hedge parsley

About Upright Hedge Parsley

Torilis japonica · also called Upright Hedge Parsley, Japanese Hedge Parsley · flowering

Torilis japonica is a slender annual or biennial in the carrot family (Apiaceae), native to Europe, Asia and naturalised widely in North America, typically growing in hedgerows, woodland margins and shaded roadsides. It thrives in partial shade with moist, well-drained soil and is grown primarily for its ferny foliage and delicate white umbel flowers that attract beneficial insects. The most important care fact is that it self-seeds prolifically and can become weedy; deadhead promptly after flowering to prevent unwanted spread. Torilis japonica is not listed as toxic to cats or dogs by the ASPCA; it is considered non-toxic.

Cold limit: USDA 5-9 · RHS H6 (-15 to 25°C)

What upright hedge parsley's hardiness rating actually means

Yes — upright hedge parsley is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H6 and USDA 5-9, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. Its RHS rating of H6 means: Hardy throughout the UK and northern Europe. On the US scale that maps to USDA 5-9 — 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 about −20 to −15 °C. Upright Hedge Parsley is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for upright hedge parsley as it gets too cold:

It tolerates winter lows to about −20 to −15 °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 upright hedge parsley go outside or overwinter — and where?

Plant it out within USDA 5-9 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 upright hedge parsley can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H6 figure above.

Upright Hedge Parsley hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is upright hedge parsley cold hardy?

Yes — upright hedge parsley is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H6 and USDA 5-9, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Upright Hedge Parsley is hardy across USDA 5-9; 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 upright hedge parsley can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −20 to −15 °C. Upright Hedge Parsley is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

What hardiness zone is upright hedge parsley?

Upright Hedge Parsley is rated USDA 5-9 and RHS H6 — Hardy throughout the UK and northern Europe.

Can upright hedge parsley survive winter outside?

Plant it out within USDA 5-9 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 upright hedge parsley below its minimum temperature?

It tolerates winter lows to about −20 to −15 °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.