Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

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

Also called Griffith's cobra lily, Himalayan arisaema.

More about arisaema griffithii

About Arisaema griffithii

Arisaema griffithii · also called Griffith's cobra lily, Himalayan arisaema · flowering

Arisaema griffithii is a dramatic Himalayan woodland tuber prized for its large, hooded green-and-purple spathe netted with paler veins and a long protruding tongue. It emerges in late spring, flowers, then dies back to a dormant tuber by autumn. Grow it in cool, humus-rich, well-drained shade; it resents summer heat and waterlogging.

Cold limit: USDA 5-7 (outdoor woodland perennial; not a houseplant) · RHS H5 (10-24°C)

Watch for — Tuber rot in dormancy: Cold, wet winter soil is the main killer. Plant in sharply drained ground or lift tubers in very wet regions and store cool and barely moist.

What arisaema griffithii's hardiness rating actually means

Yes — arisaema griffithii is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H5 and USDA 5-7 (outdoor woodland perennial; not a houseplant), 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 5-7 (outdoor woodland perennial; not a houseplant) — 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 griffithii is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for arisaema griffithii 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 griffithii go outside or overwinter — and where?

Plant it out within USDA 5-7 (outdoor woodland perennial; not a houseplant) 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 griffithii can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H5 figure above.

Arisaema griffithii hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is arisaema griffithii cold hardy?

Yes — arisaema griffithii is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H5 and USDA 5-7 (outdoor woodland perennial; not a houseplant), it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Arisaema griffithii is hardy across USDA 5-7 (outdoor woodland perennial; not a houseplant); 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 griffithii can survive?

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

What hardiness zone is arisaema griffithii?

Arisaema griffithii is rated USDA 5-7 (outdoor woodland perennial; not a houseplant) and RHS H5 — Hardy in most of the UK and in cold winters.

Can arisaema griffithii survive winter outside?

Plant it out within USDA 5-7 (outdoor woodland perennial; not a houseplant) 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 griffithii 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.