Colder temperatures can signal the beginning of a sleepy time of year in the garden, as many plants are preparing themselves for several months of dormancy. These 10 cold hardy succulents can handle low temperatures, many of them down to 0 and even -20 degrees Fahrenheit (-18 and even -29 degrees Celsius), meaning you don’t have to settle for a bare winter garden. All of them look great year-round, but they especially shine in the cool season, adding texture and color to the typical evergreen landscape.
1. Queen Victoria Agave (Agave victoriae-reginae)
Many describe Queen Victoria Agave as the most decorative Agave species. Despite being less than 2 feet (60 cm) tall and wide, it makes quite an impression with its dark green leaves arranged in a tight rosette pattern and the stark contrast of its white leaf margins. The leaves curve inward and have smooth edges that end in a spine at the tip of each leaf.
Plant next to boulders for a natural look or in rows for a contemporary design. This small Agave also makes a great container plant and can be brought indoors during the winter in USDA Zone 6 and below.
Native to the Chihuahuan Desert region of Mexico.
Where it will grow: USDA zones 7 to 9, hardy to 10 degrees Fahrenheit (-12 degrees Celsius).
Water requirement: Drought-tolerant once established; water deeply once a month spring through fall and in winter in the absence of rainfall; in low-desert landscapes, water every two weeks in summer.
Light requirement: Full sun is required for maintaining a tight rosette shape.
Mature size: Up to 18 inches (45 cm) tall and wide.
Planting notes: Plant in well-drained soil in full sun.
2. Red Yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora)
Red Yucca’s succulent leaves mimic an ornamental grass by creating graceful mounds of evergreen foliage. Flowering occurs primarily throughout the spring and summer months. The 5 feet (1.5 m) tall stalks with coral-colored flowers, attractive to hummingbirds, herald the arrival of warm weather. In addition to the more common coral color, there are varieties that produce creamy yellow and dark red flowers. Red Yucca’s ability to thrive in full sun, whether planted in the ground or in containers, makes it a valuable addition to the landscape.
Native to Texas and northern Mexico.
Where it will grow: USDA Zone 5, hardy to -20 degrees Fahrenheit (-29 degrees Celsius), depending on the species.
Water requirement: Drought-tolerant once established; water deeply every 3 weeks in summer, monthly in spring and fall, and rely on natural rainfall in winter; in low-desert gardens, water twice a month spring through fall.
Light requirement: Full sun is best but will grow in light shade.
Mature size: Up to 4 feet (1.2 m) wide and up to 3 feet (90 cm) tall (5 feet/1.5 m tall when in flower).
Planting notes: Plant in well-drained soil in full sun or filtered shade.
3. Hens and Chicks (Sempervivum)
Sempervivums also known as Hens and Chicks or Houseleek, have legions of fans who love to watch the mother plant, or the “hen,” produce small baby plants, or “chicks.” There are as many as 50 species of Sempervivum and even more hybrids and cultivars, resulting in countless variations in color, shape and size.
Typically used as a ground cover in rock gardens or tucked into the side of a stone wall, Sempervivum will grow with little attention. It’s also a popular container plant and can be brought indoors in areas that experience rainy winters, to protect it from getting too wet. As with most succulents, it should be grown in well-drained soil and watered only when the soil is completely dry. Remember that you’re more likely to kill a succulent by giving it too much water rather than too little.
Native to the mountains of Central and Southern Europe and the islands of the Mediterranean.
Where it will grow: USDA Zone 4 to 9, hardy to -30 degrees Fahrenheit (-34 degrees Celsius).
Water requirement: Once established, water infrequently, allowing the soil to dry out before watering again.
Light requirement: Full sun to filtered shade.
Mature size: Rosettes are 0.5 to 6 inches (1.3 to 15 cm) wide, depending on the species.
Planting notes: Plant in well-drained soil in full sun or filtered shade.
4. Parry’s Agave (Agave parryi)
Parry’s Agave comprises several varieties highly prized for their ornamental rosette pattern, which resembles an artichoke. Artichoke Agave (Agave parryi var. truncata) is the most notable variety and is hardy to 10 degrees Fahrenheit (-12 degrees Celsius). It has gray-blue leaves with contrasting maroon teeth. Other varieties of this small- to medium-sized Agave include Agave parryi var. couesii, which is hardy to 0 degrees Fahrenheit (-18 degrees Celsius). Agave parryi subsp. neomexicana is the most cold-hardy variety and can survive temperatures as low as -20 degrees Fahrenheit (-29 degrees Celsius).
These look great planted in groups of three and intermixed with smaller ornamental grasses. Parry’s Agave can also make a statement on its own when planted next to a boulder. This Agave makes a great container plant and can be brought indoors in areas that experience winter temperatures colder than the tolerances stated below.
Native to Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and northern Mexico.
Where it will grow: USDA Zone 5 to 9, hardy from 10 degrees Fahrenheit/-12 degrees Celsius) to -20 degrees Fahrenheit/-29 degrees Celsius, depending on the variety.
Water requirement: Low; water monthly in summer; in low-desert regions, water twice a month in summer.
Light requirement: Full sun to filtered shade.
Mature size: 1.5 to 3 feet (45 to 90 cm) tall and wide.
Planting notes: Plant in well-drained soil in full sun or filtered shade.
5. Aloe ‘Blue Elf’
While most aloe species need relief from the hot afternoon sun, Aloe ‘Blue Elf’ thrives in full sun, including areas that receive hot, reflected sun. Combine its sun and heat tolerance with the beautiful orange flowers that appear in late winter into spring and it’s easy to see why Aloe ‘Blue Elf’ is rapidly becoming a favorite in drought-tolerant gardens.
The cold tolerance of this Aloe is better than other Aloe species, increasing the areas where it can be grown outdoors all year long. Plant in groups of 3 to 5 in raised beds or along pathways for greatest effect. Aloe ‘Blue Elf’ also makes an attractive low-maintenance container plant that can be brought inside for winter in USDA Zone 7 and below.
Aloes are native to South Africa, but parentage of this hybrid is unknown.
READ MORE : other 5 cold succulents
