
Frost Tolerant or Frost Hardy - What's The Difference?

Frost Tender
Some plants are definitely tropical, they need warmth all year, and their leafy growing tips will blacken and rot at the first sign of a single-digit temperature.They need temperatures over 0°C for their roots to stay alive; and prefer something above 10C to thrive and look their best. These are Frost Tender Plants.You'll find these in our Temperature filter under Tropical over 15°C. 
Many plants we think of as tender or tropical can actually cope with quite cold temperatures, even below zero; providing those temperatures are brief, not too severe, and the plant is prepared for them. Larger-size plants, with woodier trunks, planted in sheltered locations, and into light free-draining soil, will fare best in cold weather. 
Light Frost, Frost Tolerant
Mature frost-tender plants in a sheltered location may come through a light frost. Light frost dips just below zero celsius, and for one or two nights only. In our climate advice we make a distinction between Light Frost, or Light Overnight Frost, and Frost Tolerant plants. Frost tolerant plants can stand frost for more than one night, and at single digit negative temperatures. Frost tender plants will not survive this. 
Frost Tolerant

 
Frost Hardy

 
Give your plants a chance
If you get winters where you are, be aware that certain parts of your garden may be more plant-friendly than others. A brick, concrete, or stone wall can retain a lot of the warmth of the sun, releasing it at night to make nearby plants cosy. Ventilation outlets from home heating units can pump out warm air into areas of the garden. North facing walls will be warmer and brighter than south facing ones; and areas sheltered from harsh drying winds will be more welcoming to tender plants than exposed locations. 

The old stalks and branches shelter young growing points and protect them from snow and frost.
 
It's also worth leaving plants as long as you can bear, in spring. Plants that look blackened and soft above ground may still be healthy and vital below ground. A spell of continued warm weather can encourage the plant to reshoot and regrow. 

So that's one less thing to worry about!
 
Which kind of plant are you?
Are you a frost-tender houseplant, snuggled indoors reaching for a cosy sweater at the end of April?Do you frost-tolerantly rug up in lots of layers when autumn cool turns to winter chill?
Or do you go sea swimming right through July, like a resilient frost-hardy snow gum?
 
Find our cold weather plants

- click Plants For Places on the menu at the top of the screen
- click Frost Tolerant Plants
- Frost Hardy plants will show as a filter to the side and in the intro text
- click the three line menu icon at the top of the screen
- click Plants For Places
- click Frost Tolerant Plants
- Frost Hardy plants will show as a filter below