It is crucial for you to know about the hardiness of succulents. As a succulent grower and lover, it is imperative to have knowledge about cold-hardy succulents, especially if you live in an area that receives frost or experiences extreme weather conditions.
What are Hardy Succulents?
Cold hardy succulents and cactus are succulents that grow in freezing temperatures or below. Cold climate succulents need less water than typical plants because water is stored in the leaves of the plants. Many cold-weather hardy succulents sustain in cold temperatures, much below zero degrees Fahrenheit. These are zone 4 succulents and zone 5 succulents. And some can happily survive even at -20° F or -29° C.
Most succulent owners use succulents in landscaping. Be it large succulent plants for outdoors, evergreen succulents, or perennial succulents, planting winter hardy succulents, especially in a colder region, adds aesthetic value to your outdoor space throughout the year. And they will require minimal care and maintenance. If you plant just about any large succulents for landscaping, these may start to wither and die as the mercury drops.
Knowing How to Pick the Cold-tolerant Succulents?
Start with frost-tolerant cacti that you already know of. For example, cold-hardy sedums like the stonecrop or sempervivum are cold hardy. Also, you can first find types of outdoor succulents that can thrive well in the temperatures of the place you live in. Online searches will yield pictures of outdoor succulents for your specific region. Detailed research will give you results about a succulent perennial plants list or a succulent list with pictures.
How to Grow Cold-hardy Succulent Plants?
It is natural for you to wonder how hardy cactus plants can be grown outside during winters. How can growing succulents in a humid climate be possible with the moisture from snow, rain, and ice? We will tell you how. Just ensure that the right conditions are offered to the plant, and it will thrive in freezing conditions.
- Ensure that the soil is mixed with coarse sand and vermiculite with perlite. Or, you can mix pumice with cactus soil, and add compost and half-peat moss.
- Also, plant these tough succulents on a sloped surface so that water or moisture can naturally drain off.
- Alternatively, you can cover the outdoor beds or plant the cold-tolerant cactus in pots with drainage holes.
Cold hardy zones in the US start from Zone 1 (-60 to -50° F) and go up to Zone 6 (-10 to 0° F).
Let's explore some of the hardy cacti and succulents zone-wise.
Hardy outdoor succulents in Zone 3
This zone covers most parts of Alaska and other northern parts of the US. The temperature ranges from -40° F to -30° F. The best-suited succulents are sedum zone 3. Some of the sedum varieties in zone 3 are - White Sedum, Sedum album 'Murale,' Pink Mongolian Stonecrop, and Angelina Stonecrop.
Outdoor succulents zone 4
Zone 4 covers the southern parts of Alaska and some parts of Wyoming. The minimum temperature here averages between -30° F and -40° F. Succulent lovers in this zone can opt for sedum zone 4 like Stonecrop, cold-hardy cactus zone 4 like Sempervivum Red Lion, and Wyoming succulents like Sempervivum Mahogany. Colorado succulents are also one of the outdoor succulent types.
Hardy succulents zone 5
The zone covers the borders of Alaska, a part of Pennsylvania, New York, and the central US. The temperature ranges from -20° F to -15° F. The best outdoor succulents in this zone are varieties of sedum zone 5 and agave zone 5. Succulents hardy to zone 5 are Sempervivum tectorum (Hens and Chicks), Euphorbia myrsinites (Myrtle Spurge), and Agave havardiana. Other zones 5 cactus plants in your zone 5 succulent garden are - sedum ground cover zone 5 like Stonecrop. These are the ideal choices for the Nebraska planting zone too.
Zone 6 succulents & zone 6 cactus
Outdoor succulents zone 6 are exposed to fairly pleasant weather conditions. Examples of hardy cactus zone 6 are Sedum hispanicum or Blue Carpet and Prometheum chrysanthum. Perennial succulents zone 6 like Sedum spathulifolium or Harvest Moon and Sedum spa. These similar varieties can be grown as succulents in Ohio. Hens and chicks zone 6 are also a viable option. Examples of succulents in zone 6A are - Sedum caucasicum, cold-hardy sempervivum vicentei, sempervivum gold nugget, etc.
Zone 7 succulents
US Zone 7 covers 20 states. The minimum temperature range is between 0 to 10° F. Examples of hardy cacti in zone 7 are sedum and sempervivum mostly. Zone 7a succulents and succulents for zone 7b are - Sedum Major, Sedum hispanicum, Sedum Little Missy, and more.
Zone 8 succulents
Most of the coastal regions in the south US fall in zone 8. Some charming cold hardy cacti in zone 8 are Echeveria and Sedum.
FAQs
Are succulents drought tolerant?
Yes, succulents are drought resistant.
Which are houseplants for zone 7 succulent garden?
Sempervivum, Agave, Jovibarba, and Orostachys are four succulents for zone 7.
Which is the Aloe hardiness zone?
The zone is USDA 10-12.
What is the sedum hardiness zone?
Most sedum varieties are hardy from Zone 4 to Zone 9.
Is echeveria frost-hardy?
Even though echeveria is frost-tolerant, these plants are not frost-hardy.
Name a few hardy sedum varieties.
Some examples are Sedum 'Purple Emperor', Showy Stonecrop, Moss Stonecrop, Sedum 'Ogon’, 'Sedum' Frosty Morn, Broadleaf Stonecrop, etc.
What is the echeveria zone?
Echeveria is best-suited for zones 9-12.
Name cold-hardy succulents for shade.
Red Yucca and Hens & Chicks are a few cold-hardy succulents for shade.
Name echeveria perennial winter-hardy plants.
Echeveria lilacina is a perennial echeveria.
