Cold-Hardy Succulents for Northern Climates

Cold Hardy Succulents for Northern Climates

Looking for succulents that go below freezing? You're in the right place! Start with the labeled photos here.

These common varieties can handle northern winters, snow, rainstorms (if given excellent drainage) and summer dry spells. There are two main genera: Sedum and Sempervivum. Lesser known are Rosularia, Delosperma, and Orostachys. Certain species of Agave and cacti also can handle all but the coldest climates.

Sedum (stonecrop) -- Trailing varieties are lovely as ground covers and in rock gardens, terraces and hanging baskets. Larger-leaved Mexican sedums (such as burro tail) are less tolerant of damp cold and need to be overwintered indoors or kept in greenhouses. Shrub sedums die back in winter and return in spring. All produce clusters of star-shaped blooms.

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Based on personal experience, I recommend cold-hardy (and all other) succulents from Mountain Crest Gardens. MCG's quality, variety, availability, packaging, pricing, and customer service are outstanding.

Note: Many plant names have changed. I've updated these according to Brent Horvath's excellent "Plant Lover's Guide to Sedums" (Timber Press).

Cold-Hardy Succulent Sedum dasyphyllum var. macrophyllum (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

Cold-Hardy Succulent Sedum 'Lime Zinger' (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

Sedum 'Lime Zinger', from Chris Hansen's patented line of SunSparkler sedums.

Cold-Hardy Succulent jelly bean Sedum rubrotinctum (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

The correct name is Sedum x rubrotinctum. I can never remember that little "x." (It means "crossed with.") The cultivar name 'Pork and Beans' is correct, except the leaves look more like jelly beans!
Design by Gina Maloney.

Cold-Hardy Succulent sedum puffy pink flowers (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

Hylotelephium sieboldii f. variegatum (variegated Sedum sieboldii)

The full name is Sedum spathulifolium ssp. pruinosum 'Cape Blanco'.

Updated name: Phedimus takesimensis 'Golden Carpet'

Cold-hardy yellow Sedum 'Tokyo Sun' (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

Sempervivum (hen and chicks) -- These resemble echeverias but rosettes have thinner, pointed leaves and a more compact, spherical form. A similar genus, sometimes lumped with Sempervivum, is Jovibarba.

Cold-Hardy Succulent webbed Sempervivum arachnoidum (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

Sempervivum calcareum 'Oddity', above, is also known as 'Griggs Surprise'.

Below: Selected new Sempervivum cultivars (sourced as annotated) shown on Instagram ~

Below: New Sempervivum cultivars from the Instagram page of SMG Succulents ~

More new Sempervivum introductions by hybridizer Kevin Vaughn. Photo courtesy of Mountain Crest Gardens.

Also from Mountain Crest Gardens:

Lesser-known hardy succulents

Succulents in the genera Jovibarba (above) and Rosularia (below) resemble sempervivums and have similar cultivation requirements.

Agaves that are cold-hardy (if kept dry) include A. 'Baccarat', which can go to Zero degrees F. For more on agaves, yuccas and cacti for northerly climates, see the Cold-Climate Succulent Gardens section of Designing with Succulents (2nd ed.). Cold-Hardy Agave 'Baccarat' (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

Delosperma – These ice plants have satiny, daisylike flowers in brilliant hues of pink, orange, red, yellow, purple and combinations thereof. They make great rock garden plants.

Cold-Hardy Succulent purple ice plant Delosperma cooperi in bloom

Cold-hardy green mesemb stiff white hairs Delosperma echinatum - Hedgehog Iceplant

Lewisia, native to the Pacific Northwest, was named after explorer Meriwether Lewis of the Lewis & Clark Expedition. The genus has been extensively hybridized, resulting in vivid-hued cultivars.