Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Arisaema elephas (Arisaema elephas)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called elephant cobra lily.

More about arisaema elephas

About Arisaema elephas

Arisaema elephas · also called elephant cobra lily · flowering

Arisaema elephas is a distinctive Sino-Himalayan cobra lily with a single three-parted leaf and a dusky purple, hooded spathe whose spadix curves forward into a long, trunk-like appendage, hence the elephant name. A cool-growing woodland tuber from high mountain meadows and forest margins, it dies back to a dormant tuber and wants humus-rich, moist, well-drained shade.

Cold limit: USDA 6-9 (hardy outdoor woodland perennial; resents summer heat) · RHS H5 (8-22°C)

Watch for — Winter tuber rot: Soggy dormant soil rots tubers. Ensure free drainage or lift and store cool and barely moist.

What arisaema elephas's hardiness rating actually means

Yes — arisaema elephas is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H5 and USDA 6-9 (hardy outdoor woodland perennial; resents summer heat), it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. Its RHS rating of H5 means: Hardy in most of the UK and in cold winters. On the US scale that maps to USDA 6-9 (hardy outdoor woodland perennial; resents summer heat) — 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 −15 to −10 °C. Arisaema elephas is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for arisaema elephas as it gets too cold:

It tolerates winter lows to about −15 to −10 °C once established.
Below its rated zone, the visible damage is browned or blackened top growth and, in the worst case, a killed crown or root.
First-year, newly planted, or container-grown specimens are noticeably less hardy than established garden plants — the roots are exposed.

Can arisaema elephas go outside or overwinter — and where?

Plant it out within USDA 6-9 (hardy outdoor woodland perennial; resents summer heat) and it overwinters with little or no help.
It does not want to come indoors — a warm winter room actually weakens a hardy plant by denying it dormancy.
The real risks in its range are waterlogging, wind-rock on young plants, and a late hard frost on new growth — not ordinary winter cold.

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 arisaema elephas can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H5 figure above.

Arisaema elephas hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is arisaema elephas cold hardy?

Yes — arisaema elephas is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H5 and USDA 6-9 (hardy outdoor woodland perennial; resents summer heat), it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Arisaema elephas is hardy across USDA 6-9 (hardy outdoor woodland perennial; resents summer heat); it belongs in the ground or a frost-proof container, not on a windowsill, and many types actively need a cold winter to perform.

What is the minimum temperature arisaema elephas can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −15 to −10 °C. Arisaema elephas is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

What hardiness zone is arisaema elephas?

Arisaema elephas is rated USDA 6-9 (hardy outdoor woodland perennial; resents summer heat) and RHS H5 — Hardy in most of the UK and in cold winters.

Can arisaema elephas survive winter outside?

Plant it out within USDA 6-9 (hardy outdoor woodland perennial; resents summer heat) and it overwinters with little or no help. It does not want to come indoors — a warm winter room actually weakens a hardy plant by denying it dormancy. The real risks in its range are waterlogging, wind-rock on young plants, and a late hard frost on new growth — not ordinary winter cold.

What happens to arisaema elephas below its minimum temperature?

It tolerates winter lows to about −15 to −10 °C once established. Below its rated zone, the visible damage is browned or blackened top growth and, in the worst case, a killed crown or root. First-year, newly planted, or container-grown specimens are noticeably less hardy than established garden plants — the roots are exposed.