Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Varied-Leaved Rock Rose (Cistus heterophyllus)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Varied-leaved rock rose, Variable-leaved cistus.

More about varied-leaved rock rose

About Varied-Leaved Rock Rose

Cistus heterophyllus · also called Varied-leaved rock rose, Variable-leaved cistus · flowering

Cistus heterophyllus is a rare, small evergreen shrub with a naturally restricted distribution in the western Mediterranean, primarily eastern Spain (including Valencia) and north-west Africa; the Spanish subspecies (subsp. carthaginensis) is critically endangered in the wild. Plants form an upright, much-branched shrub with variable leaves — upper leaves are dark green and hairy above, whitish beneath — and bright purplish-pink flowers with a yellow spot at each petal base, appearing in early summer. Being one of the more frost-tender Cistus species, it performs best in mild coastal gardens or a very sheltered position, in sharply drained soil and full sun. No toxic principles are documented for the Cistus genus.

Cold limit: USDA 8-10 · RHS H3 (-5–35°C)

Watch for — Frost damage in exposed sites: Being one of the less frost-hardy Cistus species, plants can be cut back or killed by temperatures below -5°C, especially in combination with wet soil or cold wind. In USDA zone 8 and colder UK gardens, plant at the base of a sunny wall for additional shelter.

What varied-leaved rock rose's hardiness rating actually means

Varied-Leaved Rock Rose is half-hardy (RHS H3). It survives a mild winter outdoors in a sheltered spot, but a hard frost kills it — so in colder zones it is lifted, potted, or grown as a tender plant. Its RHS rating of H3 means: Half-hardy — comes through mild UK winters outside but is killed by a hard freeze. On the US scale that maps to USDA 8-10 — 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 to 1 °C — a light, short frost only. Varied-Leaved Rock Rose shrugs off cold nights but a real, sustained freeze will kill it.

Concretely, for varied-leaved rock rose as it gets too cold:

Down to roughly about −5 to 1 °C it copes, especially if dry and sheltered.
A sustained hard frost collapses the top growth; whether it returns depends on whether the roots, crown or tubers froze.
Wet cold is far more lethal than dry cold for this plant — soggy, frozen soil is the usual killer.

Can varied-leaved rock rose go outside or overwinter — and where?

It can live outside year-round only in the mildest, most sheltered part of USDA 8-10 or a frost-free UK microclimate.
In colder zones, grow it in a pot you can move under cover, or lift its tubers/roots and store them frost-free over winter.
A south-facing wall, free-draining soil and a dry winter position can push it a full zone hardier than the books suggest.

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 varied-leaved rock rose can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H3 figure above.

Frost protection for borderline varied-leaved rock rose

Varied-Leaved Rock Rose is right on a hardiness edge in many gardens, so if you are pushing it, these measures buy it the margin it needs:

Mulch the crown or root zone deeply with bark, straw or leaf-mould before the first hard frost.
Move container plants against a warm wall or into an unheated but frost-free porch or greenhouse.
Fleece the top growth on the coldest nights, and keep it on the dry side — dry roots survive cold far better than wet ones.
Lift dahlia-type tubers or tender crowns after the first light frost blackens the foliage and store them somewhere cool but frost-free.

Varied-Leaved Rock Rose hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is varied-leaved rock rose cold hardy?

Varied-Leaved Rock Rose is half-hardy (RHS H3). It survives a mild winter outdoors in a sheltered spot, but a hard frost kills it — so in colder zones it is lifted, potted, or grown as a tender plant. Borderline outdoors. In its mild end of USDA 8-10 (and sheltered UK gardens) varied-leaved rock rose can stay out; in colder areas it must be lifted, brought in, or treated as a frost-tender plant.

What is the minimum temperature varied-leaved rock rose can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −5 to 1 °C — a light, short frost only. Varied-Leaved Rock Rose shrugs off cold nights but a real, sustained freeze will kill it.

What hardiness zone is varied-leaved rock rose?

Varied-Leaved Rock Rose is rated USDA 8-10 and RHS H3 — Half-hardy — comes through mild UK winters outside but is killed by a hard freeze.

Can varied-leaved rock rose survive winter outside?

It can live outside year-round only in the mildest, most sheltered part of USDA 8-10 or a frost-free UK microclimate. In colder zones, grow it in a pot you can move under cover, or lift its tubers/roots and store them frost-free over winter. A south-facing wall, free-draining soil and a dry winter position can push it a full zone hardier than the books suggest.

How do I protect varied-leaved rock rose from frost?

Mulch the crown or root zone deeply with bark, straw or leaf-mould before the first hard frost. Move container plants against a warm wall or into an unheated but frost-free porch or greenhouse. Fleece the top growth on the coldest nights, and keep it on the dry side — dry roots survive cold far better than wet ones. Lift dahlia-type tubers or tender crowns after the first light frost blackens the foliage and store them somewhere cool but frost-free.