Succulents can withstand both heat and cold. A succulent can survive in temperatures as low as 40 degrees Fahrenheit, much like the desert, which can have chilly nights.
How cold should it be for succulents?
Whether a succulent is a soft or hard succulent determines what temperature it can withstand.
Anything warmer than 32 degrees F will be enjoyable for soft succulents. preferably over 40 degrees.
These plants cannot endure colder than freezing temperatures. Their hefty, thick leaves, which serve as water reservoirs, will freeze and destroy the plant.
Succulents that can withstand the cold can sustain -20 F. The best it can manage is a zone 4 to 5, and let me tell you, that is very impressive.
You must keep in mind that even if they can withstand temperatures below zero, they still like dry soil. That remains constant.
The majority of winters in the contiguous US will not only be dry but also wet and snowy.
I have succulents, when should I cover them?
“Frost tender” succulents may experience variable degrees of damage, depending on how long the temperature is below freezing (32 degrees F). A sensitive plant’s cells expand, burst, and transform its leaves to mush when liquid inside them freezes. In a “light frost,” only the tips of the leaves may be harmed (“frost burn”). A “hard frost” is characterized by sustained temperatures below freezing, which can cause entire plants to die. Typically, succulents do not recover from roots.
Ones that are among the most fragile succulents include crassulas, aeoniums, euphorbias, and kalanchoes. Some succulents, in particular, have an inbuilt antifreeze that allows them to endure temperatures considerably below 32 degrees Fahrenheit—in fact, below zero.
Are your outdoor succulents at risk over the winter? Depending on where you reside, Please refer to “Cold Weather Care for Outdoor Succulents, By Region.”
Your area is frost-free (lucky you!) if…
This soft-leaved agave in my garden is the canary in the mineshaft when it comes to cold. Many succulents may survive a brief cold (less than an hour), but Agave attenuata’s leaf tips immediately reveal damage.
Although ugly, this damage rarely results in death. See how each leaf’s healthy green portion is? Cut each leaf to a point using scissors to remove the tissue-paper-like frozen tips. The harm won’t be very evident when you’re finished. Those shorter, clipped leaves will be buried by new growth during the summer. (Note: Such damage is comparable to scorching brought on by excessive sun and heat, which is common of desert conditions, and by wildfire, which, believe it or not, does occur.)
What about a succulent or agave that only suffers damage from frost on the tips of its leaves? Don’t even try trimming them. In a few months, it will shed those oldest leaves nevertheless.
areas with sporadic, light frosts (like Southern California’s interior):
If there is a “frost advisory” for your area, keep an eye on the weather forecast, and before it gets dark, go outdoors and cover your sensitive succulents. After midnight, frost is more common, and temperatures increase colder as dawn approaches. Warm air is lighter than cold air, which travels down hills and gathers in low areas. Succulents in swales are therefore more vulnerable than those on top of berms. You may have heard that Christmas lights slightly increase the temperature. Yes, if they are the traditional variety. LEDs in current use don’t produce heat. You should be concerned about succulents that are exposed to the elements and have nothing over them. I occasionally lean over a succulent and look up. It becomes draped if there aren’t any tree limbs or eaves directly above.
I reside at 1,500 feet in the foothills NE of San Diego (Zone 9b). And yes, after seeing the weather forecast on the late-night news, I have been outside at 11 p.m. in my pajamas and slippers, freezing while I place blankets on delicate plants while my husband holds a flashlight. I may leave the plants covered if several nights of frost are expected; otherwise, I take the sheets off the next morning. I fasten them with clothes pins and rocks to make sure they won’t blow off. AVOID using plastic. The plants are unable to breathe because of it.
In my yard, jades and other delicate succulents are covered in frost cloth. WATCH THE VIDEO
Why cold damages some succulents and not others
The origin of a certain plant type affects it greatly. Most succulents are native to dry, hot areas where they can store water in their leaves to survive drought. The ones that don’t freeze, however, are from dry, cold climates. See my essay, Showy Succulents for Snowy Climates, in the Wall Street Journal. The “hardies” include:
several species and cultivars of sempervivums (hens-and-chicks, above); some cactus, yuccas, and agaves (such as Agave utahensis, A. montana, and A. parryi); and lewisias from the Pacific Northwest.
Can succulents endure temperatures of 30 degrees?
Succulents can be difficult to cultivate outdoors in the winter in colder locations. There are still certain succulent plants that thrive in snowy conditions, despite the fact that they are generally known for preferring sunlight and not the other way around. Three of the most cold-hardy genera are Sempervivum, Hardy Sedum, and Hardy Opuntia, which can withstand subfreezing winter temperatures of -30F. Agave and rosularia are two other succulents with high cold tolerance.
Do succulents survive the cold outside?
There are many succulents that can endure the winter outside, even in extremely cold locations. These
Succulents that are hardy thrive in chilly, snowy winters. Sempervivum heuffelii, which maintains vivid colors for Winter Interest, is one of our favorites. The frost-hardy Sedum cultivars are especially recommended since they create excellent ground covers in practically all regions.
Are succulents too cool for 50 degrees?
You might be curious about the lowest temperature at which succulents cannot survive when taking care of them. Warm, arid regions are where these plants are native. Nevertheless, while some succulents can endure colder temperatures, others cannot. What degree of cold is therefore too much for your succulent?
Any temperature below 50 degrees Fahrenheit is too chilly for succulents, which typically require temps between 50 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Depending on the species, a succulent’s lowest temperature tolerance varies.
Can succulents recover after being frozen?
The first step is to relocate them somewhere warm to prevent further exposure to the subzero temperatures.
Next, let them to dry out for many days or even weeks, depending on how badly they were frostbitten. All of the mushy frostbite lesions should be allowed to dry up and scab over. Your succulent will be operating in emergency mode as it attempts to stop additional harm.
Your succulent is more likely to rot and die if you water it too soon after it develops frostbite.
If you can, clip off the frostbitten parts once they have dried out. This may require you to remove significant portions of the plant. Sometimes, you might only be trimming the ends.
For instance, the ends of a fragile Aloe or Agave plant may become dry. In that instance, you may simply trim the leaf so that it resembles a typical Agave or Aloe leaf while also removing the dried-out and crispy portions.
The center of your succulent plant is typically unaffected by frostbite, which typically affects the plant’s outer edges first. In a way, this is the “best case situation” that you would hope for.
It’s likely that the succulent won’t be able to be salvaged if the frostbite extends into the stem. Your succulent is more likely to survive if you cut off and clean out any damaged areas of the plant.
Wait another two to three days before watering once you’ve clipped off the damaged areas. You should allow enough time for these wounds to callus over and heal.
Then, when everything is once more dry, you can begin watering your succulent. To promote healthy root growth, make sure you’re employing the soak and dry technique I recommend.
It’s crucial to understand that the damaged sections of your succulents you’ve plucked won’t regrow. However, if everything goes as planned, the new growth on your succulent should be strong and appear natural.
The succulent will need some time to recover its stunning appearance, but as with most succulent gardening, your persistence will be rewarded. As your succulent grows over the coming weeks and months, it will begin to resemble its former, joyful self once more.
Make sure the succulent is covered from cold, as well as from intense heat or sunlight, when you put it back outside (or in the spot it was growing). You need to gradually reintroduce your succulent to the growing circumstances it was accustomed to before it was in a protected area.
Also problematic is shocking your succulent with abrupt changes in temperature or light.
Before a freeze, should you water succulents?
The spring and summer are the best seasons for succulent growth. As soon as fall arrives, plants like to rest. Watering should be lessened while plants are dormant in the fall and winter. Some, however, are expanding rapidly and will require greater care.
Plants like Echeveria, Crassula, Kalanchoe, and other delicate succulents that you maintain indoors or in a warm greenhouse over the winter should receive just enough water to protect the roots from drying up. This can happen anywhere from a few times a week to a few times a month.
Sempervivum, Rosularia, and Sedum are examples of cold-tolerant succulents that require even less water during the winter. It is preferable to avoid watering altogether when the temperature is below 50 F (10 C). Rot thrives in environments of low temperatures and wet roots.
Your succulents will probably require more frequent watering if they are winter growers (like Aeoniums).
Desiccation affects a lot of plants during the winter. This occurs when a plant evaporates more water than it can take in through its roots. We thoroughly water evergreen plants before really cold temperatures to help prevent harm (once the ground freezes, the plants cannot absorb water but continue to lose it). With succulents, avoid doing this. They enjoy receiving the incorrect care. You want the soil around your succulents to be as dry as possible when it becomes cold outside.
Winter and dry soil are obviously incompatible (only possible if your plants are in a covered area). Therefore, winter is also the time when having adequate drainage in your soil is most crucial.
You should continue to water your plants less frequently until the spring, when new growth should start to appear on your plants. Even though it may still be cold outside, your succulent plants will benefit from more water as they begin to grow once more.
How would a succulent react to freezing?
Compared to woody or the majority of perennial varieties, succulents and cacti have distinct tissue. The bodies and stems, as well as the thick pads and leaves, all hold a lot of water. Significant cellular damage is caused by freezing both inside and outside the plant. But a lot of these plants are incredibly resilient.
Don’t remove the stems or foliage from damaged succulents. Instead, keep an eye on them for a few weeks. On plants like aloe and agave, carefully pull on the internal leaves to check if the core is harmed. The plant has succumbed and needs to be removed if internal leaves are easy to take out and are mushy and dark at the base. The plant can be saved if there are indications of fresh leaves and growth.
Can cacti be left outside?
Succulents are drought-tolerant plants because they can retain water in their large, irregularly shaped leaves. Succulents have a broad variety of eye-catching shapes and textures, which provide any landscape aesthetic interest. Can succulents live outside? is an often asked question. The quick response is “yes”! Growing succulents outdoors is an excellent alternative because they do well there and can withstand some neglect. They also do well in sunny areas with warm, dry weather.
Succulents can be grown in the ground, in pots, or hidden in unexpected planting locations. Take the uncertainty out of caring for these wonderful conversation pieces with stunning foliage by reading our suggestions for growing succulents outside.
How are succulents wintered?
Succulents are currently among the most well-liked garden plants, particularly among younger gardeners who are trend-conscious. It makes sense that these plants are now adorning so many patios, porches, and windowsills. They require very little upkeep and can withstand drought. Additionally, several succulent kinds are a wonderful conversation starter due to their unusual appearance.
A group of plants known as succulents have large, water-retentive leaves that are thick and succulent. Jade plants, kalanchoes, hens and chicks, and even aloe vera plants are examples of vintage varieties that you may already be familiar with. However, there are now a large variety of plant forms, leaf hues, and growth behaviors among the hundreds of distinct succulent plants that can be found at your neighborhood garden center.
Succulents of the Agave, Crassula, Dudleya, Echeveria, Sedum, Haworthia, and Sempervivum species varieties are some of the most well-liked varieties.
It’s time to consider how to overwinter any succulents you may have grown this year in patio pots or your garden. The plants can be left outside all winter long if the kinds you chose are completely winter hardy in Western Pennsylvania. This group includes hardy chickens and chicks.
However, the vast majority of succulent plants offered for sale these days in garden centers are not hardy in our gardening region. Combining that with the cost of these plants, you’ll probably want to figure out a way to overwinter them so you can use them in your garden the following year as well. Succulent plants can be overwintered in three different methods.
1. Use indoor succulent plants for the winter. On an indoor sunny windowsill, the majority of succulents thrive. The key to successfully overwintering succulents as indoor plants is to drastically reduce their watering requirements. If kept excessively damp, many succulents will actually rot, therefore water succulents used as houseplants throughout the winter just once every six to eight weeks. As you water, take care to keep the leaves dry. Additionally, you should keep the plants in a room that is not overly hot or chilly. Avoid forced air registers and cold drafts.
2. Semi-dormant succulents overwinter. Succulents don’t go into full dormancy, but it is possible to drive them into a semi-dormancy by severely limiting their access to water, drastically reducing their exposure to light, and maintaining them in an environment where the temperature is just above freezing. I raise about 50 succulents and cacti outdoors in my garden throughout the summer and overwinter them in this way.
I relocate my succulent pots into our linked, but unheated garage when the low 50s are reached at night. The garage has two modest windows. The pots are arranged along the garage’s sidewalls, and I neglect them the entire winter. I don’t fertilize or water the plants. They enter a semi-dormant phase where no active growth takes place.
I move the pots outside on warm days in mid- to late-March and lightly water them, taking care to keep the foliage dry. When the threat of frost has gone in mid-May, I move the pots back into the garage once they have drained and put them back up on my patio.
3. Use cuttings to overwinter succulents. Taking cuttings of your succulent plants is another approach to ensure that they survive the winter without harm. The majority of succulents are simple to grow from leaf cuttings. Fill several tidy plastic pots with a coarse, cacti-specific potting soil to accomplish this. With a sharp knife, remove a single leaf off the mother plant. Dip the cut end of the leaf into rooting hormone (which is sold at nearby garden centers or online), and then press the cut end of the leaf down into the pot of soil by about a half-inch. The pot or leaf cutting should not be covered, but it should be watered in at planting time and any other time the soil feels fully dry.
At the base of the clipped leaf, a new plantlet will emerge in a matter of weeks. Eventually, the old leaf will wither away, leaving only the new plant. If you want to grow your succulent collection over the winter, take lots of cuttings. Keep your succulent cuttings out of direct sunlight, but on a sunny windowsill. Another choice is to place them 18 to 20 hours per day in grow lamps. As long as you don’t overwater succulents, taking leaf cuttings from them is quite easy.