Aeoniums in general are not that frost tolerant, but all will come through better if planted under the eaves of a house or beneath evergreen trees that will protect them from radiation frosts.

Many of the Sedums are also bulltet proof for USDA zone 8b gardens, with Sedum palmeri being one that looks tender but even does well back in North Carolina for Tony Avent.

The frost tender succulents are probably best used as container plants that can be moved under cover, in my opinion, because it just seems such a waste to have a beautiful Agave attenuata that you have pampered for years get wiped out by one night of frost. I probably also wouldn’t want to rely on mass quantities of tender succulents such as Aeoniums if I knew they would need fussing over every winter. If you want to go that route, you should check out the frost protection structures that they have at the Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek for the tender stuff, or the permanent shade/roof structure in the garden that looks a bit like a pergola for the massed Aeonium collection they have out there.

You’re smart in moving some of them to your covered porch while keeping them watered throughout the Winter. Most people forget that little step (watering in the Winter) – which is CRUCIAL!

Out of curiosity, what kinds of objections do you hear from people who don’t care for succulents?

Right now, my usually 12″ Aeoniums are a puny 3″, looking more like snakes than plants….

I can also testify that succulents shrivel from lack of water and, in my case, burn from too much sun. The video’s very timely as right now I have a pot of succulents which are re-growing after freezing, and was wondering what to do with them.

I also haul my pots around – not inside, but under my house eaves, and other protected spots around my garden.

And when all else fails….I sit there and cry, knowing I’ll have a pile of mush to deal with come Spring. Luckily, they usually re-bound fairly quickly!