In the Central Valley, we have pretty extreme seasons. Summer days can be upwards of 110° and some winter nights as low as 28°. Asking plants from other areas to be happy year-round is not realistic. We have to choose plants carefully, which can sometimes be overwhelming.
Succulents, primarily native to frost-free areas, have become increasingly popular. Unfortunately, most succulents cannot withstand our freezing winter temperatures, making it hard to plan them into a landscape.
But there are many that are frost-hardy, and here’s a list of succulents with cold hardiness of 30°F or lower. Feel free to put these in your pots and yards without hesitation. (No more frost cloths for these!)
Echeveria cultivars
- Echeveria agavoides (‘Lipstick’ and ‘Ebony’)
- E. lilacina
- E. elegans
- E. pulidonis
- ‘Afterglow’
- ‘Black Prince’
- ‘Doris Taylor’
- ‘Imbricata’
- ‘Lola’
- ‘Perle Von Nürnberg’
- ‘Topsy Turvy’
Sedum
- ‘Angelina’
- ‘Blue Spruce’
- ‘Tricolor’
- S. clavatum
- S. dasyphyllum
- S. furfuraceum
- S. nussbaumerianum (Coppertone)
- S. rubrotinctum (Jelly Beans)
Other Frost-Hardy Succulents
- Aloe distans
- Aloe nobilis
- Aloe plicatilis
- Crassula perforata
- Dudleya brittonii
- xGraptoveria ‘Fred Ives’
- xGraptoveria ‘Opalina’
- Sempervivum spp. (Hen and Chicks)
- Senecio mandraliscae (Blue Chalk Sticks)
As with all plants, they should be established and acclimated before putting them directly into cold temperatures. Happy gardening!
