Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Wild Angelica (Angelica sylvestris)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Wild Angelica, Woodland Angelica, European Angelica.

More about wild angelica

About Wild Angelica

Angelica sylvestris · also called Wild Angelica, Woodland Angelica · herb

Wild Angelica is a tall, statuesque biennial or short-lived perennial native to damp European woodlands and meadows. It produces large, deeply divided leaves and domed, pinky-white flower umbels beloved by pollinators. Thrives in moist, partially shaded spots. Can be monocarpic — cutting flower heads before seed set extends lifespan. Caution: causes photosensitivity on skin contact.

Cold limit: USDA 4–9 · RHS H6 (-25°C to 28°C)

What wild angelica's hardiness rating actually means

Yes — wild angelica is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H6 and USDA 4–9, 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 4–9 — 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. Wild Angelica is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for wild angelica 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 wild angelica go outside or overwinter — and where?

Plant it out within USDA 4–9 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 wild angelica can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H6 figure above.

Wild Angelica hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is wild angelica cold hardy?

Yes — wild angelica is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H6 and USDA 4–9, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Wild Angelica is hardy across USDA 4–9; 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 wild angelica can survive?

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

What hardiness zone is wild angelica?

Wild Angelica is rated USDA 4–9 and RHS H6 — Hardy throughout the UK and northern Europe.

Can wild angelica survive winter outside?

Plant it out within USDA 4–9 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 wild angelica 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.