Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Candelabra Lily (Brunsvigia bosmaniae)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Candelabra lily, Pink candelabra flower.

More about candelabra lily

About Candelabra Lily

Brunsvigia bosmaniae · also called Candelabra lily, Pink candelabra flower · flowering

Brunsvigia bosmaniae is a deciduous, bulbous perennial from the winter-rainfall Namaqualand and Western Cape region of South Africa, producing spectacular, rounded candelabra-like heads of bright pink flowers on bare stems in late summer — a phenomenon triggered by the first autumn rains. After flowering, broad, tongue-shaped leaves emerge and persist through winter before dying back in spring, and the plant then rests dry and leafless through summer. The key care point is to plant with the bulb neck protruding above soil level and to allow a completely dry summer rest. Brunsvigia contains toxic lycorine-type alkaloids and is toxic to cats and dogs.

Cold limit: USDA 9-11 · RHS H2 (5–30°C; frost-free overwinter above 5°C)

What candelabra lily's hardiness rating actually means

Candelabra Lily is half-hardy (RHS H2). It survives a mild winter outdoors in a sheltered spot, but a hard frost kills it — so in colder zones it is lifted, potted, or grown as a tender plant. Its RHS rating of H2 means: Tender — survives a frost-free greenhouse or a very mild, sheltered spot. On the US scale that maps to USDA 9-11 — 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 1 to 5 °C — tolerates cold but no real frost. Candelabra Lily shrugs off cold nights but a real, sustained freeze will kill it.

Concretely, for candelabra lily as it gets too cold:

Down to roughly about 1 to 5 °C it copes, especially if dry and sheltered.
A sustained hard frost collapses the top growth; whether it returns depends on whether the roots, crown or tubers froze.
Wet cold is far more lethal than dry cold for this plant — soggy, frozen soil is the usual killer.

Can candelabra lily go outside or overwinter — and where?

It can live outside year-round only in the mildest, most sheltered part of USDA 9-11 or a frost-free UK microclimate.
In colder zones, grow it in a pot you can move under cover, or lift its tubers/roots and store them frost-free over winter.
A south-facing wall, free-draining soil and a dry winter position can push it a full zone hardier than the books suggest.

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 candelabra lily can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H2 figure above.

Frost protection for borderline candelabra lily

Candelabra Lily is right on a hardiness edge in many gardens, so if you are pushing it, these measures buy it the margin it needs:

Mulch the crown or root zone deeply with bark, straw or leaf-mould before the first hard frost.
Move container plants against a warm wall or into an unheated but frost-free porch or greenhouse.
Fleece the top growth on the coldest nights, and keep it on the dry side — dry roots survive cold far better than wet ones.
Lift dahlia-type tubers or tender crowns after the first light frost blackens the foliage and store them somewhere cool but frost-free.

Candelabra Lily hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is candelabra lily cold hardy?

Candelabra Lily is half-hardy (RHS H2). It survives a mild winter outdoors in a sheltered spot, but a hard frost kills it — so in colder zones it is lifted, potted, or grown as a tender plant. Borderline outdoors. In its mild end of USDA 9-11 (and sheltered UK gardens) candelabra lily can stay out; in colder areas it must be lifted, brought in, or treated as a frost-tender plant.

What is the minimum temperature candelabra lily can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about 1 to 5 °C — tolerates cold but no real frost. Candelabra Lily shrugs off cold nights but a real, sustained freeze will kill it.

What hardiness zone is candelabra lily?

Candelabra Lily is rated USDA 9-11 and RHS H2 — Tender — survives a frost-free greenhouse or a very mild, sheltered spot.

Can candelabra lily survive winter outside?

It can live outside year-round only in the mildest, most sheltered part of USDA 9-11 or a frost-free UK microclimate. In colder zones, grow it in a pot you can move under cover, or lift its tubers/roots and store them frost-free over winter. A south-facing wall, free-draining soil and a dry winter position can push it a full zone hardier than the books suggest.

How do I protect candelabra lily from frost?

Mulch the crown or root zone deeply with bark, straw or leaf-mould before the first hard frost. Move container plants against a warm wall or into an unheated but frost-free porch or greenhouse. Fleece the top growth on the coldest nights, and keep it on the dry side — dry roots survive cold far better than wet ones. Lift dahlia-type tubers or tender crowns after the first light frost blackens the foliage and store them somewhere cool but frost-free.