Table 2.

Relative frost resistance of temperate crop species (source:³³, with minor adaptations).

Damaging temperature range	General hardiness rating	Food crops and grasses for livestock
+ 5 to 0 °C	Chill and frost sensitive	Tomato, cucumber
0 to − 2 °C	Very frost sensitive	Potato foliage, French beans, maize, melon
− 2 to − 4 °C	Frost sensitive	Fruit blossom, grapevine in bud burst, cereals in ear, cauliflower curds, broccoli spears, asparagus spears, spring peas, spring lettuce
Crops which are included in the analysis of this current study – data permitting
− 4 to − 7 °C	Moderate frost hardiness	Winter oats*, spring cereals, cauliflower and broccoli leaves, kale*, white and spring cabbage, sugar* and fodder beet*, onions, swede*, spring canola*, winter lupins*, carrots, winter lettuce, parsnips Grasses: Italian ryegrass, red clover, alfalfa (lucerne)
− 7 to − 10 °C	Reasonable frost hardiness	Winter barley*, winter canola*, winter field beans*, winter linseed*, savoy cabbage, spinach Grasses: white clover
− 10 to − 15 °C	Good frost hardiness	Winter wheat* # Grasses: perennial ryegrass
Colder than − 15 °C	Very frost hardy	Winter rye* #, dormant deciduous plants including dormant grapevine Grasses: timothy and fescue grasses

*These crops can be used as livestock forage crops, but they can also be used to feed people.

^#There are some cultivars that are even more cold tolerant (e.g., down to − 24 °C for the winter wheat cultivar Norstar and − 33 °C for the winter rye cultivar Puma²⁸).