Which Plants Should You Bring Inside for Winter, and When?
Bring cold-sensitive houseplants and tropical plants indoors before nighttime temperatures fall below what they can safely tolerate. As a general starting point, begin making plans when nights start dropping into the 50s°F, then check the needs of each plant rather than waiting for frost. Some plants belong in a bright indoor space, some need a cool protected location, and others are better saved as cuttings, bulbs, tubers, or rhizomes.
The first question isn't "How do I fit everything into the house?" It's "What kind of winter does each plant need?" A Monstera returning from the patio, a potted citrus tree, a geranium, and a dormant canna may all need cold protection, but they don't need the same destination or care.
Sorting plants by winter strategy before the first cold snap helps you protect the ones worth saving without turning every bright window into crowded plant storage.
Overwintering Plants at a Glance
Overwintering means helping a plant survive conditions it couldn't safely tolerate outdoors until suitable growing weather returns. Depending on the plant, that may mean bringing it into a warm, bright room, moving it to a cool frost-free space, storing dormant plant parts, taking cuttings, or leaving it outside with appropriate winter protection.
| Plant situation | Likely winter plan | When to act |
| Tropical houseplant that spent summer outdoors | Bring it into suitable indoor light | Before temperatures fall below 50 degrees |
| Tender tropical or cold-sensitive patio plant | Bring it indoors or move it to protected winter conditions | Before temperatures cause damage or frost arrives |
| Tender bulb, tuber, corm, or rhizome | Lift and store when appropriate for the species | Before freezing weather damages the part being saved |
| Tender perennial worth preserving | Keep it growing, let it rest, or take cuttings | Before frost or cold injury |
| Hardy perennial planted in the landscape | Usually leave it outside | Prepare it according to the plant and local climate |
| Hardy perennial growing in a container | Evaluate root exposure and container hardiness | Before severe freezing weather |
| Unhealthy or heavily infested plant | Treat and isolate it, preserve healthy material, or let it go | Before it enters the indoor collection |
The plant should determine the winter plan. "Indoors" is a location, not a complete care strategy.
What Does Overwintering a Plant Mean?
Overwintering means protecting a plant through winter so it can resume growth when suitable conditions return. It doesn't necessarily mean keeping the plant actively growing or flowering in a heated room.
A plant may overwinter by:
- Continuing to grow in bright indoor conditions
- Slowing down in a cool, frost-free location
- Entering dormancy
- Being stored as a bulb, tuber, corm, or rhizome
- Being preserved through cuttings or divisions
- Remaining outside with suitable protection
Overwintering is less like booking every plant the same hotel room and more like finding each one the shelter it needs.
A tropical houseplant may need warmth and strong indoor light. A dormant tuber may need neither leaves nor a sunny window.
Dormancy doesn't look the same in every plant. A dahlia tuber stored for winter may spend months looking like absolutely nothing is happening, while a citrus tree or tropical hibiscus may stay leafy all winter and simply shift into a slower gear.
A hardy perennial may be better off staying outside, where winter is part of its natural cycle.
Which Plants Need to Come Inside for Winter?
Plants that aren't hardy in the local climate need protection if you want to keep them for another season. Start with houseplants that spent summer outdoors, tropical plants, tender perennials, and cold-sensitive container plants.
Don't decide from appearance alone. A plant may look tough, woody, or established and still be vulnerable to temperatures well above freezing.
Houseplants That Spent Summer Outdoors
Houseplants returning from a porch, patio, balcony, or garden should come indoors before outdoor temperatures fall below 50 degrees. These aren't outdoor plants being turned into houseplants. They're houseplants returning to the conditions where they normally spend winter.
Cold-sensitive examples may include:
Inspect and clean these plants before they return to the indoor collection. Place them in the strongest appropriate indoor light, then expect their water use and growth rate to change as the season progresses.
Learn More: How to Get Your Plants Ready for Fall and Winter
Tender Perennials Commonly Grown as Annuals
Some plants sold and used as annuals are actually tender perennials. They live for multiple years where winters remain mild, but freezing weather ends their outdoor season in colder climates.
Possible candidates for overwintering include:
Not every tender perennial needs to come inside as a full-sized plant. A compact Coleus cutting may be easier to manage than the large plant that spent summer filling a patio container.
Before reaching for the trowel, ask whether you want to save the original plant or simply preserve that variety for next year.
Potted Citrus and Other Woody Subtropicals
Potted citrus and other woody subtropical plants may need winter protection where temperatures fall below their safe range. Check the specific plant's cold tolerance rather than assuming its timing matches a leafy tropical houseplant.
These plants generally need:
- Strong indoor light
- Stable temperatures
- Careful moisture monitoring
- Protection from heating vents and cold drafts
- Regular pest inspection
A potted citrus tree isn't entering dormancy simply because you moved it into the house. If it remains leafy and active, it still needs enough light to support that growth.
Succulents and Cacti That Spent Summer Outside
Bring cold-sensitive succulents and cacti inside before temperatures fall below their tolerance. Don't assume all succulents have the same hardiness simply because they store water or come from dry environments.
Before moving them:
- Identify the plant when possible
- Check its cold tolerance
- Inspect the foliage, stems, container, and potting mix
- Place it in suitable indoor light
- Adjust watering as light and growth slow
Succulents may tolerate dry potting mix, but that doesn't make every succulent frost-hardy. Drought tolerance and cold tolerance are entirely different superpowers.
Tender Bulbs, Tubers, Corms, and Rhizomes
Some plants spend the growing season above ground, then survive winter as dormant bulbs, tubers, corms, or rhizomes. Depending on the plant and local climate, this group may include curcuma, dahlia, canna, gladiolus, caladium, and tuberous begonia.
The correct timing varies by species. Some plants are lifted after frost damages the foliage or natural dieback begins, while others should be moved before cold injury occurs.
These plants don't all follow the same storage routine. The species determines when to lift it and whether it should be dried, packed, left in its container, or stored with limited moisture.
A dahlia tuber and a caladium tuber may look similar sitting in a box, but they don't always want the same humidity or storage temperature. Follow species-specific storage directions rather than treating every dormant structure the same way.
Tropical Hibiscus and Mandevilla
Tropical hibiscus and mandevilla are often worth overwintering, especially when the plants are large, healthy, personally important, or difficult to replace. Our consumer research found strong attachment to blooming tropicals and interest in bringing them indoors for winter; some participants had already attempted to overwinter hibiscus.
Their size, pruning needs, growth habits, light requirements, and winter responses deserve more than a short section in a general guide.
Which Plants Should Stay Outside?
Plants that are hardy in the local climate and naturally adapted to outdoor winter conditions usually belong outside. This may include hardy perennials, shrubs, trees, ornamental grasses, and plants that require winter dormancy or a chilling period.
A heated home may provide:
- Too much warmth
- Too little light
- No natural dormancy
- Conditions that encourage weak growth
- A higher risk of indoor pests
Leaving a hardy plant outdoors doesn't always mean ignoring it. Depending on the plant and climate, it may need suitable mulch, winter watering, shelter from wind, or protection from waterlogged conditions.
Are Hardy Plants Safe Outside in Containers?
A plant hardy in the landscape may be more vulnerable in a container because the roots have less insulation. In the ground, surrounding soil helps buffer the root system from rapid temperature swings. In a pot, cold can reach the roots from the sides as well as the surface.
As a rule, advanced gardeners look for plants rated about two USDA Hardiness Zones colder than their own when overwintering them in containers. For example, if you garden in Zone 8, a perennial hardy to Zone 6 may have a better chance of surviving winter in a pot than a perennial rated hardy only to Zone 8.
Before leaving a perennial outside in a container, consider:
- The plant's hardiness
- The material and size of the pot
- Root exposure
- Drainage
- Wind
- Freeze-and-thaw cycles
- Whether a protected outdoor location is available
A perennial doesn't become a houseplant just because its container makes winter more complicated.
Is a Plant Worth Overwintering?
A plant may be worth overwintering when it's healthy, difficult or expensive to replace, personally important, and suited to the winter conditions you can provide.
Overwintering requires space and attention. Before committing, make sure the plant's winter plan fits your home rather than hoping the plant will adapt to whatever corner remains available.
Bring it in or preserve it when:
- The plant is healthy
- It isn't hardy in your climate
- It's expensive or difficult to replace
- It has sentimental value
- It fits the available winter space
- You can provide the necessary light and temperature
- It can be stored dormant
- It can be preserved through cuttings or divisions
Consider letting it go when:
- It has a serious pest or disease problem
- The available space can't meet its basic needs
- It's too large to move or manage safely
- It's easily replaced but difficult to overwinter
- Bringing it inside would put the established collection at risk
- It naturally completes its life cycle in one season
- The winter environment would keep it alive but in continual decline
There's no prize for filling the guest room with plants that were never going to enjoy living there.
If the full plant is impractical, a healthy cutting, division, tuber, or rhizome may preserve what you value without requiring room for the entire summer display.
When Should You Bring Plants Inside for Winter?
Begin planning when nighttime temperatures start falling into the mid-50s°F, then move plants according to their individual cold tolerance and the forecast. Treat the mid-50s°F as a planning range rather than one universal deadline, and don't wait for frost if a plant can suffer cold damage at temperatures well above freezing.
| Forecast pattern | What to do |
| Nights remain comfortably above the plant's minimum | Continue outdoor care and monitor the forecast |
| Nights begin consistently falling into the mid-50s°F | Start inspection, cleaning, and winter placement |
| Temperatures approach the plant's lower tolerance | Move the plant to its winter location |
| Frost or freezing weather is forecast | Cold-sensitive plants should already be protected |
| An unexpected cold night arrives | Use temporary shelter when safe, then complete the move promptly |
The forecast matters more than the arrival of a particular month. September in one location may still feel like summer, while another location has already started the countdown to frost.
Should Every Plant Come Inside at the Same Time?
No. Bring the most cold-sensitive plants in first, then work through the rest of the collection based on each plant's tolerance and winter strategy.
A general sequence may look like this:
- Tropical foliage houseplants
- Tender tropical and subtropical plants
- Cold-sensitive succulents
- Tender perennials being kept in active growth
- Plants being prepared for dormant storage
- Hardier containers that need later protection
The specific plant always overrules the general sequence.
Moving the whole patio at once is efficient only if every plant has the same opinion about cold. They don't.
Where Should Overwintered Plants Spend Winter?
The right winter location depends on whether the plant should keep growing, slow down, enter dormancy, or remain outdoors with protection.
Don't choose the location first and force the plant into that plan. Identify the strategy, then find the space that supports it.
Bright Indoor Growing Space
Use a bright indoor growing space for plants that will remain active or continue limited growth.
The space should provide:
- Appropriate natural or artificial light
- Stable temperatures
- Room for the plant's branches, leaves, or vines
- Access for watering and inspection
- Protection from heating vents and cold drafts
Even the brightest indoor window may provide less light than the plant received outside. Slower growth, fewer flowers, or some leaf drop may follow the move.
A window can look sunny to us and still be a major energy cut for a plant that spent summer outdoors.
Cool, Frost-Free Protected Space
A cool garage, porch, basement, or shed may work for plants that tolerate reduced growth or dormancy, but only if the space stays within the plant's safe temperature range.
Check:
- The lowest expected temperature
- Whether the space freezes
- Available light
- Air circulation
- Moisture
- Access for periodic inspection
"Unheated" and "frost-free" aren't automatically the same thing. A garage can protect a plant from wind while still becoming cold enough to damage it.
Dormant Storage
Some plants can be saved as dormant bulbs, tubers, corms, rhizomes, or resting root systems. Depending on the species, they may be lifted from the ground, cleaned, dried, packed, or stored in their containers.
Don't use one storage method for every dormant plant. Species-specific requirements determine whether the plant material should be:
- Dry or slightly moist
- Bare-root or packed in material
- Stored in darkness or some light
- Left in the container
- Checked for shriveling, mold, or decay
Dormant doesn't mean dead, and it certainly doesn't mean "put it in a box and remember it in April."
Cuttings or Divisions
Saving a smaller piece may be more practical than bringing in an entire mature plant. This can work well for some tender perennials that root readily from cuttings or divide easily.
Cuttings may be useful when:
- The parent plant has become too large
- Indoor growing space is limited
- The variety is difficult to replace
- The plant remains healthy enough to propagate
- The species responds reliably to that method
Before taking cuttings or making divisions, confirm that the plant can be propagated legally and that the species responds reliably to the method you plan to use.
Protected Outdoor Location
Some hardy plants don't need indoor warmth but may benefit from shelter from wind, waterlogging, or rapid temperature changes.
A protected location might include:
- An area near a building
- A sheltered porch
- A grouped container arrangement
- A location protected from prevailing winter wind
Protection should support the plant's natural outdoor winter cycle rather than turn it into an indoor plant.
What Should You Do Before Bringing a Plant Indoors?
Before bringing a plant indoors, identify its winter strategy, inspect it for pests, remove fully dead or decaying material, clean the plant and container as appropriate, and prepare its winter location.
A plant returning indoors may carry insects on its leaves, stems, potting mix, container, stakes, or trellis. Check those areas before the move and treat any pest problem you find. Then keep the returning plant separate from the established collection, and keep an eye on it while it settles in. One hidden insect is easy to miss on the patio, where wind, weather, and natural predators help keep populations in check. Bring it into a warm house without those controls, and it may suddenly act like it's been handed the keys to the building.
If a pest is present, identify it and use only products labeled for that pest, plant, and intended location. Don't apply a pesticide simply because a plant spent time outdoors.
For the complete inspection, cleaning, isolation, and settling-in process, see our fall-transition guide.
Learn More: How to Get Your Plants Ready for Fall and Winter
Should You Repot Before the Move?
No. Repot only when the roots, potting mix, drainage, or container present a problem that needs correcting. If the plant is healthy and its current container is doing its job, leaving the roots undisturbed may make the seasonal transition easier. The plant is already adjusting to new light, temperature, and humidity, so unnecessary root disturbance only adds another change to juggle.
A new winter address doesn't automatically require a new pot.
What Should You Expect After Moving Plants Indoors?
A plant may grow more slowly, flower less, use water differently, or drop some leaves after moving indoors. Lower light, changes in temperature and humidity, and the plant's winter strategy can all affect what happens next. This is often a plant recalibrating to a dimmer, drier world, not a plant falling apart.
A limited adjustment is different from continuing decline. Active pests, soft or blackened tissue, saturated potting mix, a sour odor, or rapid leaf loss deserve a closer look.
Don't answer every yellow leaf with more water or fertilizer. The plant may be adjusting, resting, or signaling that its winter location doesn't fit its needs.
How Should You Care for Overwintered Plants?
Match winter care to the plant's overwintering strategy. A plant kept actively growing needs more light, water, and attention than one resting in cool conditions or stored dormant. Treating all three the same way is a good way to overwater the plant that's trying to sleep and starve the one that's trying to work.
If the plant remains active:
- Provide the strongest appropriate light
- Check the potting mix before watering
- Protect it from drafts and heating vents
- Monitor regularly for pests
- Fertilize only when active growth and plant-specific guidance support it
If the plant is resting, the job changes from active support to mostly staying out of the way:
- Keep it within its required temperature range
- Reduce watering appropriately
- Don't use fertilizer to force growth
- Watch for decay, pests, or excessive drying
- Understand that fewer leaves or flowers may be normal
If the plant is stored dormant, check in on it now and then rather than forgetting it exists:
- Follow species-specific storage instructions
- Protect it from temperatures outside its safe range
- Check periodically for mold, decay, shriveling, or premature growth
- Keep stored plants clearly labeled
- Don't assume dormant plant material requires no monitoring
Winter care isn't about forcing every plant to perform. Sometimes the win is a plant doing almost nothing, successfully.
When Can Overwintered Plants Go Back Outside?
Move overwintered plants back outside once the weather actually suits that species and the risk of damaging cold has passed. Ease the plant back into strong sun in stages rather than moving it straight from an indoor window into full outdoor light.
Before the move, run through the reverse of your fall checklist:
- Check the forecast
- Confirm the plant's minimum temperature
- Inspect for pests
- Remove fully dead or decaying material
- Check whether repotting is actually needed
- Resume feeding only when active growth supports it
Then ease into the transition rather than flipping the switch all at once:
- Begin in shade or filtered light
- Increase outdoor light gradually
- Protect the plant from strong wind
- Monitor the potting mix closely
- Expect water use to increase with light, warmth, and growth
Spring doesn't come with an indoor-to-outdoor light dimmer switch, so give the leaves time to adjust.
Give Each Plant the Winter It Needs
Overwintering works best when the plant chooses the strategy, not the empty space in your house. Check its cold tolerance, decide whether it should keep growing, rest, or be stored, and make the move before cold damage forces the decision for you.
Some plants need the brightest window you have. Others need a cool frost-free corner, a storage box, or a fresh cutting in a much smaller pot. A few are better left outdoors where winter is part of their natural cycle.
Sort first, move second, and you can protect the plants worth saving without bringing the entire patio into the living room.
Need help identifying your plant and its growing needs? Costa Farms Plant Finder
