two large pink tropical hibiscus blooms with large yellow stamen two large pink tropical hibiscus blooms with large yellow stamen two large pink tropical hibiscus blooms with large yellow stamen
two large pink tropical hibiscus blooms with large yellow stamen

How to Overwinter Tropicals: Hibiscus, Mandevilla, Cannas, Elephant Ears & More

heidi grasman |  october 21, 2026

If you’re like me, that first frost warning of the season can turn an otherwise relaxing fall evening into a scramble. You've spent all summer growing those tropical hibiscus and mandevillas into full, gorgeous specimens. Watering, feeding, watching them absolutely thrive. But as fall approaches, you're staring at the forecast and getting ready to say your goodbyes to these gorgeous plants.

 

Most gardeners treat these plants as annuals, replanting fresh each spring. But with a little effort in the fall, many of them can be overwintered and brought back next season already established and ready to perform. Tender tropical plants, those that are hardy only in zones 8–11 and cannot survive frost outdoors in colder climates, need to come inside or be properly stored before temperatures drop. The good news is that the process is simpler than most gardeners expect, and acting before that first frost arrives makes all the difference.

 

Here's what we'll cover:

  • How to tell tender tropicals apart from hardy plants
  • A quick-reference frost hardiness table for the most common tropicals
  • What to do before you bring anything inside
  • Specific overwintering guidance for each plant type
  • When to simply let a plant go and start fresh next spring 

Tender Tropicals vs. Hardy Plants: Know What You're Dealing With 

Not every plant that looks rough in October actually needs rescuing, and understanding the difference saves you a lot of unnecessary work.

 

Hardy plants can survive winter outdoors in your zone, either in the ground or in containers with the right preparation. If you're dealing with perennials or shrubs in pots, our guide to overwintering potted plants outdoors covers that territory well.

 

Tender tropical plants are a different situation entirely. These are the summer garden stars that genuinely cannot survive a freeze no matter what you do outside. They either come inside or they're gone. And once frost hits them, they decline quickly. A plant rescued before the first frost overwinters far more successfully than one that got caught in it. Timing matters more here than almost anywhere else in the fall garden. 

Frost Hardiness Quick Reference

Use this table to quickly identify what you're working with, when to act, and how to store it: 

Plant Bring in When Nights Reach Overwintering Method Storage Location
Tropical Hibiscus 50°F (10°C) Bring indoors Bright window, 50°F+
Mandevilla & Lantana 45–50°F (7–10°C) Cool room / garage Cut back / Semi-dormant
Canna & Dahlia After first frost Dig and store Dark, cool spot (40–50°F)
Colocasia (Elephant Ear) After first frost Dig and store Dark, cool spot (40–50°F)
Alocasia (Elephant Ear) 50°F (10°C) Bring indoors / dig Bright window / dark, cool spot (50–60°F)(
Caladium 50°F (10°C) Treat as annual -

Before You Bring Anything Inside: Do This First 

I know it’s tempting to just grab every tender plant off the patio and haul them through the back door before temperatures drops. Resist that urge for just a few minutes as a little preparation now prevents a lot of problems later.

 

  • Check for pests before anything crosses the threshold. The first thing I do is a thorough bug check. Bringing an infested plant inside is how you introduce spider mites or aphids to your entire indoor space. Flip leaves over and inspect stems carefully. If you find anything suspicious, treat with Captain Jack's® Neem Max before moving the plant inside. 
     
  • Ease the transition. Moving a plant from full outdoor sun to a dim corner of the house all at once causes significant leaf drop. Not because the plant is dying, but because it's shedding leaves it can no longer support in lower light. A few days in a shaded spot outdoors or a bright garage first gives the plant time to adjust. Some leaf drop after moving inside is normal regardless; don't panic when it happens. 
     
  • Cut back large plants. Reducing a large tender plant by one-third to one-half before bringing in makes it easier to manage indoors, lowers its light requirements, and reduces pest surface area considerably. 

How to Overwinter Tropical Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) Indoors

When night temperatures start dropping toward 50°F (10°C), it's time to bring your tropical hibiscus inside. Find it the brightest window you have, cut back on watering significantly, and keep it away from cold drafts and heating vents.

 

A quick but important note first: we're talking about tropical hibiscus here, not hardy hibiscus or Rose of Sharon. Hardy hibiscus (like the Summerific® series) and Rose of Sharon are completely cold hardy and need no overwintering attention. Tropical hibiscus, like the Hollywood Hibiscus® series sold as patio container plants, is hardy only in zones 9–11. In zones 5–7, it must come inside if you plan to try overwintering it. 

I think of all the tender plants in this guide, tropical hibiscus is probably the most worth the effort of saving. A well-established Hollywood Hibiscus® represents a real investment and the plant comes back stronger each year when properly overwintered.

 

Light: The brightest window you have, ideally south-facing. If your home runs dark, I’ve had success using grow lights. A hibiscus with enough light throughout winter will reward you with the occasional bloom, which is a genuinely welcome sight in January. One stuck in a dim corner just sulks.

 

Temperature: Above 50°F at all times. Cold drafts near doors and windows are as damaging as actual frost. Heating vents are equally problematic as the dry heat stresses the plant and invites spider mites.

 

Watering: Significantly reduce. Overwatering in winter is the most common reason tropical hibiscus declines indoors. Water when the top inch of soil feels dry rather than on any regular schedule.

What to expect: Some leaf drop after moving inside is completely normal. In spring, gradually reintroduce the plant to outdoor conditions over one to two weeks before moving it back outside full time.

How to Overwinter Mandevilla (Mandevilla spp.) and Lantana (Lantana camara) Indoors 

When night temperatures approach 45–50°F (7–10°C), move mandevilla indoors. You should cut it back by one-third to one-half first to make it manageable, keep it somewhere cool and frost-free, and water minimally through the winter months.

 

Mandevilla is worth overwintering if you have a bright indoor spot. But be prepared, when I’ve overwintered mandevilla it looked rough for a few months.  Cut it back before bringing in, keep it in a cool but frost-free location, and water minimally. Expect a lot of leaf drop; the roots are what you're keeping alive through winter, and they're tougher than the plant looks in February. Come spring, it will resprout and put on growth quickly once back outdoors in full sun.

 

Lantana takes an even more hands-off approach. Cut it back hard, move it into a cool garage or basement before temperatures hit freezing (32°F / 0°C), and water it only enough to keep the roots from drying out completely. It's much less light-dependent than hibiscus in this semi-dormant state, which makes it easier to tuck away somewhere and mostly forget about until spring.

 

The honest alternative for both: these plants are relatively affordable to replace each season. If indoor space is limited or the overwintering feels like more work than it's worth, starting fresh next spring is a completely legitimate choice. Save your indoor real estate for the plants that are truly worth the effort. 

How to Overwinter Cannas, Elephant Ears, and Dahlias (Dig-and-Store Method)

For cannas, elephant ears, and dahlias, wait until after the first frost kills back the foliage, then dig the underground storage structures, cure them briefly, and store in a cool location in slightly moist packing material through the winter.

 

These three follow a similar dig-and-store framework which is more straightforward than it sounds. The frost itself does some of the work, signaling to the plant that it's time to go dormant and making the timing easy to identify. 

Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners®

Cannas (Canna spp.): After the first frost kills back the foliage, cut stems to about 6 inches above ground. Dig the rhizomes carefully as they spread underground and there are usually more than you expect. Let them dry for one to two days to allow excess soil to fall away, then store in slightly moist peat moss, vermiculite, or newspaper in a cool location (40–50°F / 4–10°C). A basement or unheated garage works well. Check periodically through winter and discard anything showing rot.

 

Elephant Ears (Colocasia and Alocasia): Follow the same dig-and-store process as cannas, with one useful distinction. Alocasia, the upright, arrow-shaped type, can sometimes be overwintered as a houseplant if you have bright enough indoor light. You need to bring it inside before nights reach 50°F (10°C) and treat it similarly to tropical hibiscus. Colocasia, the classic large heart-shaped elephant ear, is better dug and stored at 50–60°F (10–15°C). Both types prefer slightly warmer storage than cannas. Handle the tubers carefully during digging. Any damage creates an entry point for rot during storage.

 

Dahlias (Dahlia spp.): The dig-and-store framework applies, but there's one step that adds complexity: dividing the tuber clumps. Each division needs to include a viable "eye",  the growth point from which next year's plant will emerge. Identifying and cutting to those eyes correctly is where most first-timers run into trouble. Get it right and you have multiple plants for next season; miss the eyes and the divisions won't sprout. For detailed, authoritative guidance on dahlia tuber division and storage, the American Dahlia Society covers the full process comprehensively. 

Should You Overwinter Caladiums? 

For most home gardeners, caladiums are best treated as annuals. The tuber storage process is finicky, success rates are inconsistent, and fresh plants in spring simply perform better.

 

Caladiums can technically be dug and stored similarly to cannas, but I haven’t had much success overwintering them. They're more sensitive to storage conditions than any other plant in this guide. They need warmer storage temperatures (around 60°F / 15°C), precise moisture management, and a longer curing period. And even when everything goes right, overwintered caladiums often take longer to get going in spring than fresh plants would.

 

For most gardeners, purchasing fresh Heart to Heart® caladiums next season produces better results with significantly less frustration.  

A Note on Timing: Don't Wait Too Long 

When a frost warning appears in the forecast, treat it as your signal to act. A plant caught in a killing frost can still sometimes be rescued, but it starts from a position of stress rather than health, and overwintering success rates drop considerably.

 

Watch the forecast through late September and October. The temperatures in the reference table above are your triggers. When nights start approaching those thresholds for your specific plants, it's time to move. You don't need to have everything figured out perfectly. Getting the plants inside or dug up is the priority; the details can be sorted once the immediate threat has passed. 

The Bottom Line 

If you’re willing to put in some work, with a little trial and error you can overwinter some of those tender tropicals you’ve been growing. With the right approach and a little indoor space, they'll come back next year already established and ready to outperform the fresh plants you'd otherwise be starting from scratch. But knowing when to let something go and start fresh is just as valuable as knowing how to save it. Both choices are good gardening. The goal is a garden you enjoy, not a winter of stressful plant triage.

About the Author: Heidi Grasman is the co-owner of Garden Crossings and has spent over 30 years getting her hands dirty developing a deep, practical knowledge of plants, garden design, and what actually works in the ground. She travels throughout the year visiting trial gardens and attending industry conferences to stay on the cutting edge of new plant introductions, and has been a featured speaker at Proven Winners events including the Grand Garden Show on Mackinac Island. A teacher at heart, Heidi's greatest reward is hearing from customers who've found their green thumb after following her advice. 

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