Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Amorphophallus abyssinicus (Amorphophallus abyssinicus)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Ethiopian voodoo lily.

More about amorphophallus abyssinicus

About Amorphophallus abyssinicus

Amorphophallus abyssinicus · also called Ethiopian voodoo lily · tropical

Amorphophallus abyssinicus is an African tuberous aroid from Ethiopian and tropical highland regions. From a dormant corm it sends up a single short-lived inflorescence followed by one finely divided umbrella leaf on a speckled petiole. It needs warm, moist soil while in leaf and a dry dormant rest, and the whole plant is an oxalate-bearing aroid.

Cold limit: USDA 10-12 (tender; lift and store the tuber dry where frost occurs) · RHS H1c (18-30°C)

Watch for — Tuber rot in dormancy: Cold, wet compost during the rest period rots the corm. Store the dormant tuber dry or guarantee sharp drainage, and resume watering only when growth restarts.

What amorphophallus abyssinicus's hardiness rating actually means

Amorphophallus abyssinicus is not cold hardy. It is a tropical houseplant that dies if it is left out through frost — there is no zone where it overwinters outdoors in a UK or cold-US climate. Its RHS rating of H1c means: Warm-temperate — can summer outdoors but must come in well before the first frost. On the US scale that maps to USDA 10-12 (tender; lift and store the tuber dry where frost occurs) — the zones where it can be left outdoors year-round.

New to these scales? The USDA hardiness zone map explained covers how the zone numbers work, and you can find your own zone with the zone finder.

Minimum temperature — and what happens below it

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about 5 °C (and never frost). Amorphophallus abyssinicus has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

Concretely, for amorphophallus abyssinicus as it gets too cold:

Below about about 5 °C, growth stalls and the leaves start to show cold stress — dark, water-soaked, or yellowing patches.
A single light frost blackens the foliage; a hard freeze kills the whole plant, roots included, and it does not recover.
Even a cold, draughty windowsill or an unheated porch in winter can be enough to damage it permanently.

Can amorphophallus abyssinicus go outside or overwinter — and where?

It can holiday outdoors in summer once nights are reliably above 5 °C, in shade or dappled light, hardened off gradually.
Bring it back indoors well before the first autumn frost — do not wait for a frost warning, move it when nights drop toward 10-12 °C.
It will never overwinter outside in a temperate climate; the indoors is its winter home, full stop.

Work back from your local frost dates with the frost-date calculator: the last spring frost and first autumn frost are what really decide when amorphophallus abyssinicus can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H1c figure above.

Amorphophallus abyssinicus hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is amorphophallus abyssinicus cold hardy?

Amorphophallus abyssinicus is not cold hardy. It is a tropical houseplant that dies if it is left out through frost — there is no zone where it overwinters outdoors in a UK or cold-US climate. Indoor-only in almost every home. Amorphophallus abyssinicus can only live outside year-round in genuinely frost-free climates (roughly USDA 10-12 (tender; lift and store the tuber dry where frost occurs)); everywhere else it is a houseplant that summers out at most.

What is the minimum temperature amorphophallus abyssinicus can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about 5 °C (and never frost). Amorphophallus abyssinicus has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

What hardiness zone is amorphophallus abyssinicus?

Amorphophallus abyssinicus is rated USDA 10-12 (tender; lift and store the tuber dry where frost occurs) and RHS H1c — Warm-temperate — can summer outdoors but must come in well before the first frost.

Can amorphophallus abyssinicus survive winter outside?

It can holiday outdoors in summer once nights are reliably above 5 °C, in shade or dappled light, hardened off gradually. Bring it back indoors well before the first autumn frost — do not wait for a frost warning, move it when nights drop toward 10-12 °C. It will never overwinter outside in a temperate climate; the indoors is its winter home, full stop.

What happens to amorphophallus abyssinicus below its minimum temperature?

Below about about 5 °C, growth stalls and the leaves start to show cold stress — dark, water-soaked, or yellowing patches. A single light frost blackens the foliage; a hard freeze kills the whole plant, roots included, and it does not recover. Even a cold, draughty windowsill or an unheated porch in winter can be enough to damage it permanently.