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.

 

Echeveria setosa var. deminuta

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!