Most people meet succulents on a windowsill and assume they'd die in a real winter. Many of the toughest succulents evolved on alpine ridges and high steppe, and they sail through a zone 4 January (−30°F to −20°F) outdoors, frozen solid under snow. Hens-and-chicks, many sedums and a few specific ice plants are rated to zone 3 or 4; others on this list stop at zone 5 or 6, and we say so. The table gives verified zones for 12 cold-hardy succulents; the profiles cover size, bloom and one care tip each.
The rule that decides everything: cold rarely kills hardy succulents; winter wet does. Every plant below wants gritty, fast-draining soil and a site that never puddles.
The 12 at a glance
| Succulent | Zones | Water | Height | Bloom |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hens-and-chicks (Sempervivum tectorum) | 3–8 | Very low | 3–6 in (flowers taller) | Summer |
| Autumn Joy sedum | 3–9 | Low | 18–24 in | Late summer–fall |
| Dragon's Blood sedum (Sedum spurium) | 3–9 | Low | 3–6 in | Summer |
| White stonecrop (Sedum album) | 3–9 | Very low | 2–6 in | Summer |
| Orange stonecrop (Sedum kamtschaticum) | 3–8 | Low | 3–6 in | Early summer |
| Angelina sedum (Sedum rupestre) | 5–8 | Very low | 3–6 in | Summer |
| Turquoise Tails blue sedum | 5–9 | Very low | 6–10 in | Summer |
| MESA VERDE® ice plant | 4–8 | Very low | 2–6 in | Late spring–summer |
| TABLE MOUNTAIN® ice plant | 4–8 | Very low | 1–3 in | Summer |
| Hardy ice plant (Delosperma cooperi) | 5–9 | Very low | 3–6 in | June–September |
| Yellow ice plant (Delosperma nubigenum) | 6–8 | Very low | 1–3 in | Late spring |
| Dunce cap and rosularia | 5–10 (by species) | Very low | 2–6 in | Late summer–fall |
Zone 3 and 4 champions
1. Hens-and-chicks (Sempervivum tectorum and hybrids)
Zones 3–8 · Water Very low · Size 3–6 in rosettes, spreading into colonies · Bloom Summer, pink to red on 6–12 in stalks
The alpine classic, rated zones 3–8 by the Missouri Botanical Garden. Tight rosettes in green, burgundy and silver-webbed forms multiply by offset "chicks." A rosette that flowers dies afterward, but the chicks fill the gap. Hens-and-chicks are perfect in rock gardens, wall crevices, troughs and gravel. Cobweb (S. arachnoideum) types and the related Jovibarba grow the same way.
Care tip: Twist out the dead rosette after flowering and tuck a chick into the gap.
2. Autumn Joy sedum (Hylotelephium 'Herbstfreude', syn. Sedum 'Autumn Joy')
Zones 3–9 · Water Low · Size 18–24 in · Bloom Late summer to fall, pink aging to rust
The tall border sedum: succulent blue-green structure all season, dusty-pink flower heads in fall, and seed heads that stand through winter. Autumn Joy sedum mixes easily with perennials and grasses.
Care tip: Pinch stems by half in late May if it flops open.
3. Dragon's Blood sedum (Sedum spurium 'Dragon's Blood')
Zones 3–9 · Water Low · Size 3–6 in, spreading · Bloom Summer, deep pink
Red-tinged leaves on a mat that roots wherever a stem touches soil. It's the easiest filler for groundcover duty, slopes and hot edges.
Care tip: Shear off spent flower heads to keep the mat tidy.
4. White stonecrop (Sedum album)
Zones 3–9 · Water Very low · Size 2–6 in · Bloom Summer, white
Tiny bead-like leaves that turn coral-red in winter sun. Used on green roofs because it takes baking heat and drought. 'Coral Carpet' is a colorful selection.
Care tip: It spreads readily; keep it out of beds with small, slow plants.
5. Orange stonecrop (Sedum kamtschaticum)
Zones 3–8 · Water Low · Size 3–6 in · Bloom Early summer, gold-orange
A clumping (not running) sedum with scalloped green leaves and bright gold star flowers. 'Weihenstephaner Gold' is the standard selection.
Care tip: Cut the old stems back to the new rosettes in early spring.
Zone 5 sedums
6. Angelina sedum (Sedum rupestre 'Angelina')
Zones 5–8 · Water Very low · Size 3–6 in · Bloom Summer, yellow
Chartreuse needle-like foliage that turns orange in winter. It's often sold as zone 3 or 4, but the Missouri Botanical Garden rates it zones 5–8, so zone 4 gardeners should treat it as an experiment.
Care tip: Tear off rooted pieces in spring to start new patches.
7. Turquoise Tails blue sedum (Sedum sediforme 'Turquoise Tails')
Zones 5–9 · Water Very low · Size 6–10 in · Bloom Summer, pale yellow
Plant Select's blue-gray, cylindrical-leaved sedum, rated zones 5a–10 with dry-to-xeric water. It holds its color all winter and stays in a neat clump.
Care tip: Plant it in full sun; in shade it stretches and loses the blue color.
The ice plants: choose carefully
8. MESA VERDE® ice plant (Delosperma 'Kelaidis')
Zones 4–8 · Water Very low · Size 2–6 in, spreading · Bloom Late spring to summer, salmon-pink
A Plant Select introduction from high-elevation parent plants, rated zones 4–8 by the Missouri Botanical Garden. Plant Select's Panayoti Kelaidis explains that its hardy ice plants derive from plants that grew at 8,000 to 9,000 feet, which is why they survive winters that kill others.
Care tip: Gravel mulch only, and no winter watering.
9. TABLE MOUNTAIN® ice plant (Delosperma 'John Proffitt')
Zones 4–8 · Water Very low · Size 1–3 in · Bloom Summer, fuchsia
The zone 4 answer for the classic purple ice-plant look, and a Plant Select plant bred as an improvement on D. cooperi.
Care tip: Keep it away from downspouts and snow-dump areas.
10. Hardy ice plant (Delosperma cooperi)
Zones 5–9 in the dry West · Water Very low · Size 3–6 in · Bloom June to September, magenta
The common purple ice plant. Hardy ice plant is rated zones 5–9 and is reliable in dry zone 5 sites, though the Missouri Botanical Garden rates it zones 6–10 because wet winters kill it. Don't confuse it with the Wheels of Wonder and Jewels of the Desert series: Plant Select describes those as tender, fine as annuals but not reliably perennial.
Care tip: If it melts out in a wet winter, replace it with MESA VERDE® or TABLE MOUNTAIN®.
11. Yellow ice plant (Delosperma nubigenum)
Zones 6–8 · Water Very low · Size 1–3 in · Bloom Late spring, bright yellow
A flat, bright-green mat with yellow flowers and red winter color. It's often labeled zone 4 or 5, but the Missouri Botanical Garden rates it zones 6–8. We treat it as zone 6, with zone 5 possible in a dry, well-drained spot.
Care tip: Plant it in spring so it roots in before its first winter.
The supporting cast
12. Dunce cap (Orostachys) and rosularia (Rosularia)
Zones 5–10, by species · Water Very low · Size 2–6 in rosettes · Bloom Late summer to fall (dunce cap)
Oddities for troughs and crevices. Dunce cap makes silver spiral rosettes that send up conical bloom towers; the Missouri Botanical Garden rates Orostachys boehmeri zones 6–10. Rosularia looks like a softer, fuzzier sempervivum; Rosularia platyphylla is rated zones 5–10.
Care tip: Grow both in pots or troughs first; they're easy to lose in a large bed.
Beyond true succulents, cold-hardy cactus such as Escobaria vivipara and Echinocereus viridiflorus grow the same way; see the cold-hardy cactus guide. Hardy yuccas and agaves are covered in cold-hardy agave and yucca. For regional planting advice in the Intermountain West, see xeriscaping in Salt Lake City and xeriscaping in Boise.
How to grow them
- Drainage first. Mix coarse grit or squeegee into the top 6 to 8 inches, or build a raised mound or rock garden. Skip compost; lean soil is the goal (see xeriscape soil prep).
- Full sun to light afternoon shade. Color intensifies with sun.
- Gravel mulch, never wood. Organic mulch holds moisture against succulent crowns, which is what kills them (gravel vs. wood mulch).
- Water new plants weekly for their first month or two, then taper. Established plantings need water perhaps monthly in a hot, dry summer; overwatering is the main way these plants die.
- Leave them alone in winter. No covering, cutting or water. Sedums flush red-bronze and sempervivums shrink and turn purple; that's normal, and they rebound in spring.
From our installs
On the Front Range, hardy succulents are some of the most reliable plants we install, as long as they're not in clay that holds water. The losses we see come from snowmelt pooling at the bottom of a slope, downspouts draining into a sedum bed, and wood mulch. We plant sempervivums and small sedums into a raised mix of native soil and squeegee, water weekly for the first month, then leave them. Hail can bruise or split fleshy leaves; the plants usually grow out of it within a few weeks. Ice plants are where tags mislead most, so we stick to Plant Select selections. (Xeris Landscaping is owned by Xeriscaping.com's founder.)
Frequently asked questions
What succulents survive zone 4 winters?
Hens-and-chicks, Autumn Joy sedum, Dragon's Blood sedum, white stonecrop, orange stonecrop, and the Plant Select ice plants MESA VERDE® and TABLE MOUNTAIN®.
Do I need to cover succulents in winter?
No. Covering traps moisture. Good drainage matters far more than protection from cold.
Why did my ice plant die over the winter?
Usually winter-wet soil or a tender variety. Many ice plants sold in big-box stores are annuals. Choose Plant Select selections and plant in gravelly, fast-draining soil.
Can hardy succulents grow in clay soil?
Not well unless you raise the planting area. Mound gritty soil 6 to 12 inches above grade, or use troughs and containers with drainage holes.
When is the best time to plant cold-hardy succulents?
Spring through midsummer, so roots establish before winter. Late-fall planting is risky in cold climates.
