Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Wedge-Leaved Savory (Satureja cuneifolia)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Wedge-Leaved Savory, Cuneate-Leaved Savory.

More about wedge-leaved savory

About Wedge-Leaved Savory

Satureja cuneifolia · also called Wedge-Leaved Savory, Cuneate-Leaved Savory · herb

Wedge-Leaved Savory is a compact, aromatic subshrub native to the eastern Mediterranean and Turkey, closely related to summer savory but more ornamental and drought-tolerant. It forms low, wiry mounds with small, wedge-shaped leaves and pale lilac flowers in summer. Excellent for rock gardens, herb borders, and dry walls; demands sharp drainage and full sun.

Cold limit: USDA 7–10 · RHS H4 (5–30°C)

Watch for — Root and crown rot: Excessive moisture, especially in cool winters, causes rot at the stem base. Grow in raised beds or containers with grit-amended compost. Water sparingly from autumn onwards and protect from prolonged rain.

What wedge-leaved savory's hardiness rating actually means

Yes — wedge-leaved savory is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H4 and USDA 7–10, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. Its RHS rating of H4 means: Hardy in an average winter across much of the temperate world. On the US scale that maps to USDA 7–10 — 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 −10 to −5 °C. Wedge-Leaved Savory is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for wedge-leaved savory as it gets too cold:

It tolerates winter lows to about −10 to −5 °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 wedge-leaved savory go outside or overwinter — and where?

Plant it out within USDA 7–10 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 wedge-leaved savory can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H4 figure above.

Wedge-Leaved Savory hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is wedge-leaved savory cold hardy?

Yes — wedge-leaved savory is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H4 and USDA 7–10, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Wedge-Leaved Savory is hardy across USDA 7–10; 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 wedge-leaved savory can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −10 to −5 °C. Wedge-Leaved Savory is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

What hardiness zone is wedge-leaved savory?

Wedge-Leaved Savory is rated USDA 7–10 and RHS H4 — Hardy in an average winter across much of the temperate world.

Can wedge-leaved savory survive winter outside?

Plant it out within USDA 7–10 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 wedge-leaved savory below its minimum temperature?

It tolerates winter lows to about −10 to −5 °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.