Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Japanese Cobra Lily (Arisaema sikokianum)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Shikoku Jack-in-the-Pulpit, White Cobra Lily, Japanese Jack-in-the-Pulpit.

More about japanese cobra lily

About Japanese Cobra Lily

Arisaema sikokianum · also called Shikoku Jack-in-the-Pulpit, White Cobra Lily · tropical

Arisaema sikokianum is one of the most striking of all Jack-in-the-pulpits, native to Japan's Shikoku and Kyushu islands. The dramatic spathe is deep maroon-purple striped with white, sheltering a brilliant white club-shaped spadix. A rare collector's aroid — all parts contain calcium oxalate crystals and are toxic to people and pets.

Cold limit: USDA 5-9 · RHS H5 (5-22°C)

What japanese cobra lily's hardiness rating actually means

Yes — japanese cobra lily is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H5 and USDA 5-9, 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 5-9 — 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. Japanese Cobra Lily is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for japanese cobra lily 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 japanese cobra lily go outside or overwinter — and where?

Plant it out within USDA 5-9 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 japanese cobra lily can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H5 figure above.

Japanese Cobra Lily hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is japanese cobra lily cold hardy?

Yes — japanese cobra lily is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H5 and USDA 5-9, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Japanese Cobra Lily is hardy across USDA 5-9; 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 japanese cobra lily can survive?

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

What hardiness zone is japanese cobra lily?

Japanese Cobra Lily is rated USDA 5-9 and RHS H5 — Hardy in most of the UK and in cold winters.

Can japanese cobra lily survive winter outside?

Plant it out within USDA 5-9 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 japanese cobra lily 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.