Cold hardiness & minimum temperature
Is Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar (Cedrus atlantica 'Glauca Pendula')cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp
Also called weeping blue Atlas cedar.
More about weeping blue atlas cedar
About Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar
Cedrus atlantica 'Glauca Pendula' · also called weeping blue Atlas cedar · flowering
Weeping blue Atlas cedar is a sculptural evergreen with cascading, blue-needled branches that drape downward from whatever framework it's trained on. Every tree is unique, shaped by staking. It needs full sun and sharp drainage and is drought-tolerant once established, making it a living architectural feature for entryways, slopes and focal beds.
Cold limit: USDA 6-9 · RHS H6 (-20 to 32°C)
What weeping blue atlas cedar's hardiness rating actually means
Yes — weeping blue atlas cedar is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H6 and USDA 6-9, 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 6-9 — 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. Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.
Concretely, for weeping blue atlas cedar 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 weeping blue atlas cedar go outside or overwinter — and where?
- Plant it out within USDA 6-9 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 weeping blue atlas cedar can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H6 figure above.
Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar hardiness — frequently asked questions
Is weeping blue atlas cedar cold hardy?
Yes — weeping blue atlas cedar is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H6 and USDA 6-9, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar is hardy across USDA 6-9; 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 weeping blue atlas cedar can survive?
Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −20 to −15 °C. Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.
What hardiness zone is weeping blue atlas cedar?
Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar is rated USDA 6-9 and RHS H6 — Hardy throughout the UK and northern Europe.
Can weeping blue atlas cedar survive winter outside?
Plant it out within USDA 6-9 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 weeping blue atlas cedar 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.
Keep reading
- Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar care — the full brief (light, water, soil, problems, pet safety)
- USDA hardiness zones — find yours and what grows there
- Is weeping blue atlas cedar hardy in the UK? — the RHS-rating version
- RHS hardiness ratings — the UK system explained
- Frost-date calculator — your real outdoor window
- The USDA hardiness zone map, explained
- Is peace lily cold hardy?
- Is bird of paradise cold hardy?
- Is hoya cold hardy?
- All 5561plant hardiness & min-temp guides