I'm not familiar with that particular one, Bev, but if you bring them inside, I would suggest a cold cellar or even an unheated garage up near the house wall. Ideal overwintering temp. would likely be about 40 dgrees F. or even slightly cooler.

Thanks. They'll go in the nursery bed this summer and I'll bring them inside for the winter. I don't have a good spot to keep them just above freezing, but I'll figure something out.

- Bev

I'm not sure that it needs to be kept above freezing, just not go down to minus 30 C. I know that I kept some potted ones of various hybrids in my cold cellar over winter, and they did just fine. Of course, the cold cellar is kept just above frezing.

All directions I have is they won’t survive heavy frosts and certainly not freezing which is 32F and under. I believe around 40-45F but no higher so it goes semi dormant would be best. And no light unless you are going to provide decent sunshine for most of the winter 6-8 hours a day at the 50-60s ie you are keeping it growing just not as vigorous. Keeping it cool means it won’t need as much light. If you keep household temps (70-75 F) without much light it will be trying to grow but won’t have the strength to cause it doesn’t get enough light for photosynthesis.

40-45F would be the best bet but remember the native environment and origin of this plant is tropical desert meaning dry but more humidity and warm. If you decide to try one outside — make sure it is well protected with frost proof cloth (super 2.5 Oz that keeps the inside temp of it 8-9 degrees higher than ambient temps. It can rain and get sunshine through the cloth. It really depends on where you live. Most I know like those on Monrovia advise zone 9-11 which is lower Florida (Miami) because central Florida (St Petersburg area) can get freezes. I have lived there through them. Many a Florida smudge pot has to be lit to keep them from freezing.

It all depends on where you live and your soil temps, and what the chances are for freezes. These plants have long tap roots, they prefer not to be in pots. If you rarely get freezing weather - you can always use frost proof cloth and a heavy blanket and cover it on the one or two nights it freezes or just bring it in on cold nights - 1 night into a cool area. You can’t go back and forth - will kill it for sure. The other option is to just let it reseed like many annuals do and see what happens. There are many reseeding annuals as are many vines and plants but they come up from seed that sows itself from the plant and end up blooming in spring or summer. I have petunias do this (reseed) if the winter isn’t too bad. Some annuals even need the cold weather (vernalization). You can put them in plastic bags of damp potting soil and seal in the frig for 6-8 weeks and then take out and pot up inside the house and after danger of frosts are well past, plant them outside. Best wishes.