The question of the winter hardiness of the saccharine cannot be answered in general, because the individual varieties have different frost tolerances. Some plants only tolerate up to - 7 °C, others up to - 15 °C, none of them like icy wind.
Some varieties of the sackflower are hardy
In a mild area, such as a wine-growing region, your American lilac, as the sackweed is also known, has a good chance of surviving the winter without frostbite. If you have rather long and/or very cold winters, then at least antifreeze is recommended. This is especially true for potted plants that are also outside in winter.
Where can I successfully winter my sackcloth?
You can easily bring potted plants to suitable winter quarters. This can be a cool conservatory, but also a slightly heated greenhouse. It should be bright and frost-free there. Temperatures around +8 °C are ideal. A dark basement room is unsuitable, as is an unheated greenhouse if the temperatures there fall well below freezing.
How do I take care of my sack flower in winter?
If your sackcloth stays in the garden all winter, protect the root ball from freezing. Wrap a planter with an old blanket, a jute sack (€10.99) or bubble wrap. The bottom of the container also needs frost protection. A polystyrene plate, for example, is suitable for this. (35.50€) A layer of leaves, brushwood or bark mulch helps in the bed or in the hedge.
You should only water your sack flowers very little in winter, but winter-green varieties need some water at any time of the year. Fertilizer is not necessary at all, it could do more harm than good. Towards the end of winter, cut back the sackcloth if you haven't already done so in the fall.
The essentials in brief:
- Depending on the variety, hardy to between - 7 °C and - 15 °C
- protect young plants from frost
- It is best to hibernate potted plants at approx. + 8 °C
- cut back in spring
tips
If you are not sure whether your sackflower is sufficiently hardy, then at least overwinter small varieties at around + 8 °C in a bright winter quarters.