Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Colocasia Burgundy Stem (Colocasia esculenta 'Burgundy Stem')cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Burgundy Stem taro, burgundy elephant ear.

More about colocasia burgundy stem

About Colocasia Burgundy Stem

Colocasia esculenta 'Burgundy Stem' · also called Burgundy Stem taro, burgundy elephant ear · tropical

Colocasia esculenta 'Burgundy Stem' is a bold elephant ear with large heart-shaped green leaves on deep wine-red petioles. Unlike alocasias, it is a thirsty bog plant that loves constant moisture, full sun to part shade, rich soil and heat. Vigorous in summer, it dies back in cold. Toxic to cats and dogs like all Colocasia.

Cold limit: USDA 8-11 (corm lifted or mulched below zone 8; dormant in cool winters) · RHS H2 (20-30C)

Watch for — Winter dieback: Normal in cool climates; the corm goes dormant, so lift and store it frost-free or keep it warm and barely moist indoors.

What colocasia burgundy stem's hardiness rating actually means

Colocasia Burgundy Stem 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 8-11 (corm lifted or mulched below zone 8; dormant in cool winters) — 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. Colocasia Burgundy Stem shrugs off cold nights but a real, sustained freeze will kill it.

Concretely, for colocasia burgundy stem 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 colocasia burgundy stem go outside or overwinter — and where?

It can live outside year-round only in the mildest, most sheltered part of USDA 8-11 (corm lifted or mulched below zone 8; dormant in cool winters) 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 colocasia burgundy stem 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 colocasia burgundy stem

Colocasia Burgundy Stem 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.

Colocasia Burgundy Stem hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is colocasia burgundy stem cold hardy?

Colocasia Burgundy Stem 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 8-11 (corm lifted or mulched below zone 8; dormant in cool winters) (and sheltered UK gardens) colocasia burgundy stem can stay out; in colder areas it must be lifted, brought in, or treated as a frost-tender plant.

What is the minimum temperature colocasia burgundy stem can survive?

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

What hardiness zone is colocasia burgundy stem?

Colocasia Burgundy Stem is rated USDA 8-11 (corm lifted or mulched below zone 8; dormant in cool winters) and RHS H2 — Tender — survives a frost-free greenhouse or a very mild, sheltered spot.

Can colocasia burgundy stem survive winter outside?

It can live outside year-round only in the mildest, most sheltered part of USDA 8-11 (corm lifted or mulched below zone 8; dormant in cool winters) 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 colocasia burgundy stem 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.