Which houseplants do you grow outside?

This might be helpful for people of temperate climates like the UK, I'm going to make a list of houseplant I've grown outside (in experimentation), and give my own hardiness rating, I believe many more indoor plants can survive outdoors than might be given credit.

Rhododendron simsii - Indian azalea, much hardier than it's houseplant use suggests; (hardy to -10C)

Schlumbergera x buckleyii (eastern and christmas cactus) - Won't take big freezes but can tolerate light freezes and performs best in the shade. (hardy to -3C)

Aloe variegata - this succulent really is hardier than you might expect, if kept dry it will take quite a few degrees of frost though rot is it's biggest enemy. (dry hardy to -7C, wet hardy to 0C)

Strelitzia reginae (Bird of Paradise), This plant is tougher than I thought, certainly can take a few degrees of frost - thats why they grow well in the Channel Islands.. (hardy to -4C but with burn on the leaves if frosty)

Yucca guatamalensis (Y. elephantipes, Houseplant Yucca). These seem tropical and look it, they are potentially hardier than they look though, especially when bigger. They can be seen in some seaside resorts; Southsea Island and Llandudno feature huge specimens. (hardy to -4C but can grow back from the ground/trunk from -10C)

Chamaedorea elegans (parlour palm), Very exotic look miniature palms, these are quite tender, but if under cover will take a few degrees of frost. (hardy to -2C or maybe -3C but only under cover)

Schefflera arboricola - an old favourite, thought of as very tender but will survive light frosts in the garden (hardy to -1 or -2C, maybe -3C under shelter)

Pelargonium x hortorum (Zonal Geranium), used as bedding in the summer these are very hardy if kept dry in my experience can flower well into winter if frosts are light. (hardy to -7C if kept dry)

Clivia miniata: a tough houseplant, can take some frost if sheltered. (hardy to -3 or -4C)

Chlorophytum (Spider plant): These used to be grown all the time in bedding, but they stopped using them for some reason around towns. They are fairly hardy though and will take a few degrees of frost (hardy down to -5C in my experience).

If anyone has any further additions add them on.

 

Monstera deliciosa , can take -4 with no damage to old leaves and -10 will grow back from the roots.

Aspidistra - the iron plant often sold as house plant can survive outdoor to -20 with no damage.

tradescantia - one of the last winter surprising surviver , grown back from the roots

calathea zebrina - took - 4 in dry condition , came back from the roots.

Chlorophytum (Spider plant) - the leaves dye down at zero but the roots are hardy to -6 in a dry position and will come back in spring...I`ve notice that the green version it`s harder then the variegata.

 

mmmm, not wanting to put a dampener on the thread but I've found as you are saying quite a few plants considered non-hardy are very likely to regrow away from frost damage.
The problem occurs when the plant doesn't make significant growth the following year.

I've found I often end up looking after a slowly declining plant that needs putting out of its misery.:WINK1:

If you can keep a plant undamaged it looks a lot better the following summer, but if it gets cut to the ground each winter or badly damaged, you really have to consider if its worth growing.

 

Another one Araucaria heterophylla (Norfolk Island Pine), used to grow in the botanic garden but was killed by winter 2009. It had been there for nearly 10 years!

Good to -4 or -5C I think

 

Absolutely Pete this is true and if these type of plant do get damage they sometimes don't regrow well. This is the cases with bulb grown plants more than any, they really struggle to come back. There are a few that are really awful for coming back, Hibiscus is one, and in my experience Brugmansia struggles to come back. Christmas cacti do not come back when damaged at all.. they usually just die.

Azaleas do respond very quickly though, my Indian one lost it's leaves last winter and regrew better and bushier this summer.

Aspidistra is very hardy but when damaged doesn't like to grow back either.

 

As much as Stephen I think i realise that from an early and inexpidient gardener I was and may still be , made mistake are like gold.
None of us want to spend money to let the frost kill all our plant , but I think a list like this will be only good for extra plant we can store outdoor in the unheated greenhouse rathen to overwinter indoor.
My giant monstera , calathea and strelizia after that experiance are now really happy in my greenhouse an no anymore in a dark corner of my house.

 

I had 3 aspidistra in my garden , one both in the garden center , one from Noth Italy and one from south Italy ....
the garden center one die last year
the south Italian one it seams that just don`t want to grow
the north italian one ....it`s indistructable
I think it`s all depend from where they come from.

calathea outdoor.





same calathea but moved inside the green house.....at the moment is even bigger then the picture.

 

Some Billberias and Tillandsia can take 0c and possibly -2 but my Billbergia Windii and Nutans Var went to mush after a few nights last winters at -5c.

I've not tried Chamaedorea outside but might see what happens but where we have just moved to is a lot frostier than our previous place which will make a difference to survival

 

I have a rubber plant that out performs any house plants I've ever had but I have never tried leaving it out when there is a frost...I bought it from sainsburys about 2 years ago for 3 pounds It's in a ten litre pot now.

 

I go along with what you are saying.
I remember planting out my first seed grown Fatsia, the text books all said it was a house plant, min 5C. but that was back in the 70s.
How surprised was I when it grew away without a scratch its first winter.

Around here I tend to think if a plant cant stand minus 5C its not worth bothering with outside.
Equally, something like my strelitzia, (outside), which is slow growing and unlikely to recover from a minus 2C quickly, is not worth bothering with, without protection.

When you boil it down there are masses of plants from sub tropical parts we can grow, outside, but its down to how much protection you are prepared to give, and how highly you value that plant.

 

Most of the plants I`ve tryed outdoor where just cheap plant I`ve both in Focus or Homebase , the calathea was £1 and the monstera was £2 .....I would never rish my 8 years old strelizia or any other pricie plants.
When I travel to temperate country I just can not notice the outdoor plants , there are 4 plants that I`ve seen growing outdoor and I still wonder about if they will grow over here.

Rubber plant - In Czech Republic (-18) the normal rubber plant but was really tiny compare to the one we see over here .

Dumb cane - in Turin Italy (-18) it was in the ground very close to the house about 5 feet tall , must have been there for a while.

Climping ficus - in Turin again and was covering an entire house .

Dragon fruit - in Slovenia (-18) and then in Italy again , keep outside balcony , I was wondering where they got all them plants from , as I only managed to get them from seed.......Dragon fruit plant is actually sold all over UK , but no one know that (very funny story).

 

I had Bougainvillea Glabra outside for three years untill the first realy cold winter a couple of years back and was killed off at -4/5c I wouldn't leave one out again, I'll just keep them about 5c, at least they should survive.

Sal, I am surprised you have seen Dieffenbachia outside in Turin as I know they struggle in temperatures below 10c, Is Turin that mild in Winter?

Ficus Pumila the creeping/climbing one is half hardy so I guess that would grow quite well there.

Stephen, I bought a NIP as a house plant four years ago it is now 6ft high and has been outside for over a year, just dragging it into the garage for a couple of nights at -4/5c. I will be planting it in the garden sometime soon and I will just have to see what happens. I'm not looking on it as a long term planting.

Pete, I haven't a cold frame so I'll keep my BOP at 5c (when I get the greenhouse heater wired up!)

 

Hi Strongy , no Turin is actually colder them UK in winter , can reach -18 , but the summer it`s hotter and longer then UK , what I was thinking is that the plant was actually covered by the roof of the house and it was completely dry in winter , shame I`ve only seen the plant in summer.
I`m really curious as well about that plant , If i will ever find one I will deftnely try out.

 

Strongy, my Bop survives with no heat and no rain protection, just a blanket during frosty weather.
Its growing near the house so is also in a micro climate.

Sal, how often does it get to minus 18C in Turin?

I'm just wondering if you are applying an extreme Turin winter temperature against a normal UK temperature.
Bearing in mind some parts of the UK got down to minus 20C or lower last winter.

 

I would say that Turin have the same temperature as London and maybe is all about the smog that keep the city warm , but because is at the base of the alps , they have lots of strange weather .....but the in summer can touch easy 40 c , as they are one of the biggest producer of wine and rice in Italy.
Pete , I`m getting really curious about the blanket you are using , still want to plant my gasteria out this year but don`t know if i want to use a glass dome or the blanket as you do ......will it not the blanket get wet ?