Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Wide-Leaved Sea Lavender (Limonium latifolium)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Wide-leaved sea lavender, Broad-leaved statice, Sea lavender.

More about wide-leaved sea lavender

About Wide-Leaved Sea Lavender

Limonium latifolium · also called Wide-leaved sea lavender, Broad-leaved statice · flowering

Limonium latifolium is a clump-forming herbaceous perennial native to the steppes and coastal regions of southeastern Europe (Bulgaria, Ukraine, and the western Black Sea coast). It produces large, semi-evergreen rosettes of broadly elliptic leathery leaves from which billowing clouds of tiny lavender-blue flowers emerge on wiry branching stems in late summer. Full sun and excellent drainage are the two non-negotiable requirements; plants hate being moved once established due to their deep taproot. Limonium is non-toxic to cats and dogs according to the ASPCA.

Cold limit: USDA 3-9 · RHS H7 (-25°C to 35°C)

What wide-leaved sea lavender's hardiness rating actually means

Yes — wide-leaved sea lavender is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H7 and USDA 3-9, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. Its RHS rating of H7 means: Hardy in the severest European continental winters. On the US scale that maps to USDA 3-9 — 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 below about −20 °C. Wide-Leaved Sea Lavender is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for wide-leaved sea lavender as it gets too cold:

It tolerates winter lows to about −20 °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 wide-leaved sea lavender go outside or overwinter — and where?

Plant it out within USDA 3-9 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 wide-leaved sea lavender can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H7 figure above.

Wide-Leaved Sea Lavender hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is wide-leaved sea lavender cold hardy?

Yes — wide-leaved sea lavender is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H7 and USDA 3-9, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Wide-Leaved Sea Lavender is hardy across USDA 3-9; 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 wide-leaved sea lavender can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly below about −20 °C. Wide-Leaved Sea Lavender is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

What hardiness zone is wide-leaved sea lavender?

Wide-Leaved Sea Lavender is rated USDA 3-9 and RHS H7 — Hardy in the severest European continental winters.

Can wide-leaved sea lavender survive winter outside?

Plant it out within USDA 3-9 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 wide-leaved sea lavender below its minimum temperature?

It tolerates winter lows to about −20 °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.