Status: 15.01.2024, 05:32 a.m.
By: Ines Alms
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Keep your eyes open when buying plants: Whether a Mediterranean plant can be planted in a bed in summer and winter depends on several factors such as the region and the variety.
Mediterranean plants are accustomed to sun and warmth, with which Germany can serve only in some summer months. The southerners also get along well with spring and autumn in this country, but it quickly gets dicey in winter. If you want to grow the plants in a bed and not in a container, you should therefore pay attention to their frost tolerance. In addition to the type of plant, it is also crucial where exactly you live in Germany.
Hardiness zones help to assess the climate region
In mild regions of Germany, a hardy pomegranate (Punica granatum) also thrives. © zhoujianwen/Imago
Rhineland-Palatinate is known for its climatically favourable location for wines. It is not only the state with the largest wine-growing area, but also exotics such as apricots, figs or kiwi thrive well in some places. Cold-sensitive plants also feel at home in other favoured regions of Germany, which often have a mild climate thanks to the warm Gulf Stream in the Atlantic, among other things. The proximity of rivers is also an advantage: the water reflects the sun's rays and thus intensifies the effect of light. Mist and fog protect the plants from frost.
To find out which Mediterranean plants feel comfortable where, you should first determine which hardiness zone (WHZ) or USDA climate zone you live in. On the Internet you can find graphics that offer good assistance. The following hardiness zones are considered important zones for Germany (DACH region):
| Hardiness zone | Region |
|---|---|
| Zone 5 to 6 | Alpine Region |
| Zone 6 to 7 | Lowland |
| Zone 7b | Berlin, Dresden, Halle |
| Zone 8a | Rhineland, coasts of Schleswig-Holstein and Lower Saxony, Hamburg, Kiel |
| Zone 8b | Heligoland and North Sea Islands |
You can find even more exciting gardening topics in the regular newsletter of our partner 24garten.de.
Which Mediterranean plants for which region?
To give a rough overview: The following hardy plants can survive temperatures down to about minus 17 degrees Celsius (sometimes more) and are suitable for both mild and colder regions:
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- Mediterranean snowball (Viburnum tinus)
- Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
- Cistus (Cistus)
- Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)
- Three-leaf orange (Poncirus trifoliata)
- Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis)
- Wine (Vitis vinifera)
In milder regions at sub-zero temperatures of 7 to 12 degrees Celsius, overwinter in the bed
- Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens)
- Fig (Ficus carica)
- Pomegranate (Punica granatum)
- Evergreen Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora)
- Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
- Hemp palm (Trachycarpus fortunei)
- Laurel (Laurus nobilis)
- Spanish broom (Spartium junceum)
Location and variety are crucial for winter hardiness
The hardiness zone is only an approximate guideline. Of course, for a Mediterranean garden, you also have to consider the respective variety and the local location: true lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), for example, is very hardy, crested lavender is sensitive to frost. The more sheltered and sunny the location, the better the chances of survival in cold winters. A very wet location, on the other hand, is unfavorable. Ultimately, a healthy plant without pest infestation is also more resistant to sub-zero temperatures. In case of doubt, however, all Mediterranean plants should also be provided with a layer of mulch and winter protection made of fleece, jute or straw.
Particularly heat-loving plants such as olive trees, oleanders, loquats and citrus fruits do not tolerate any frost and must overwinter as container plants in a sheltered place in the house.