Plant care
Green Cardamomtemperature & humidity
Elettaria cardamomum
More about green cardamom
Ideal temperature for green cardamom
Green Cardamom is comfortable in any room a person is comfortable in, roughly 18–35°C; minimum 10°C; damaged below 5°C (64–95°F; minimum 50°F; damaged below 41°F). The mistakes are micro-climates: a north-facing window on a frosty night, a south-facing windowsill in a summer heatwave, the standing draught between an opened kitchen door and the radiator behind it. Read the room around the plant, not the thermostat. Below roughly 18°C the damage starts — soft blackened patches, translucent leaves, sometimes overnight.
Cold tolerance & winter care
Green Cardamom is frost-tender (USDA 10–12 (indoor in most climates), RHS H2). It cannot survive a frost, so in most of the US and UK it lives indoors year-round or summers outside and comes back in well before the first autumn frost — once nights drop toward 10-12°C is the cue, not the first frost warning. Acclimate it over a week when moving between indoors and out so the leaves do not shock.
Humidity for green cardamom
Green Cardamom sits happiest at around 70–85% relative humidity. High humidity is non-negotiable; the species originated in monsoon forest with near-constant moisture in the air. A heated greenhouse or humid conservatory is ideal in the UK; dry indoor air causes significant leaf tip and edge browning and makes the plant prone to spider mites. The usual low-humidity tell is crisp brown leaf tips and edges while the soil moisture is fine — a sign the air, not the watering, is the problem. If you need to raise it, the reliable methods are grouping plants together, standing the pot on a tray of damp pebbles (the pot above the waterline, never in it), or running a small humidifier in winter when indoor heating dries the air most. Misting is the least effective — it raises humidity for minutes, not hours.
Green Cardamom temperature & humidity — frequently asked questions
What temperature is best for green cardamom?
Green Cardamom grows best between 18–35°C; minimum 10°C; damaged below 5°C (64–95°F; minimum 50°F; damaged below 41°F). Keep it out of cold draughts, off freezing windowsills in winter, and away from the hot dry air directly above radiators — the extremes matter far more than the average room temperature.
How cold can green cardamom tolerate?
Green Cardamom starts to suffer below roughly 18°C. It is frost-tender and will be damaged or killed by a frost, so bring it indoors once nights fall toward 10-12°C.
What humidity does green cardamom need?
Green Cardamom prefers about 70–85% relative humidity. High humidity is non-negotiable; the species originated in monsoon forest with near-constant moisture in the air. A heated greenhouse or humid conservatory is ideal in the UK; dry indoor air causes significant leaf tip and edge browning and makes the plant prone to spider mites.
How do I raise humidity for green cardamom?
Group it with other plants, stand the pot on a tray of damp pebbles (kept above the waterline), or run a small humidifier in winter. Misting only helps for a few minutes, so it is the weakest option for a plant that genuinely needs more humidity.
Can green cardamom live outside?
Green Cardamom is rated for USDA zone 10–12 (indoor in most climates) and RHS hardiness H2. Outside that range it must come indoors before the first frost — treat any outdoor stint as a summer holiday, not a permanent home.
More green cardamom care
In the UK? Keeping green cardamom warm in a UK home covers the radiator, single-glazing and heating-season humidity angle. Temperature and humidity are one piece. See the full green cardamom care guide, its cold-hardiness guide, and watering schedule — humidity and watering problems are easy to confuse.