Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Weeping silver pear (Pyrus salicifolia 'Pendula')cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Weeping silver pear, willow-leaved pear.

More about weeping silver pear

About Weeping silver pear

Pyrus salicifolia 'Pendula' · also called Weeping silver pear, willow-leaved pear · flowering

An elegant small deciduous tree producing long, narrow, willow-like leaves covered in silver-white down that glistens in sunlight. Creamy-white flowers appear in spring, followed by small, hard, inedible fruits. The gracefully weeping habit makes it a sculptural focal point for borders and formal gardens. AGM holder; drought-tolerant once established.

Cold limit: USDA 4-7 · RHS H6 (-15 to 35°C)

Watch for — Overcrowded weeping canopy: The pendulous branches can form a dense skirt that touches the ground, harbouring pests and blocking light. Raise the crown by removing the lowest branches in late winter to improve air circulation.

What weeping silver pear's hardiness rating actually means

Yes — weeping silver pear is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H6 and USDA 4-7, 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 4-7 — 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 silver pear is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for weeping silver pear 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 silver pear go outside or overwinter — and where?

Plant it out within USDA 4-7 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 silver pear can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H6 figure above.

Weeping silver pear hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is weeping silver pear cold hardy?

Yes — weeping silver pear is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H6 and USDA 4-7, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Weeping silver pear is hardy across USDA 4-7; 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 silver pear can survive?

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

What hardiness zone is weeping silver pear?

Weeping silver pear is rated USDA 4-7 and RHS H6 — Hardy throughout the UK and northern Europe.

Can weeping silver pear survive winter outside?

Plant it out within USDA 4-7 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 silver pear 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.