Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Colocasia 'Pink China' (Colocasia esculenta 'Pink China')cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Pink China elephant ear, Pink China taro, hardy elephant ear, taro.

More about colocasia 'pink china'

About Colocasia 'Pink China'

Colocasia esculenta 'Pink China' · also called Pink China elephant ear, Pink China taro · tropical

Pink China is a cold-hardy taro cultivar grown for huge heart-shaped leaves on bright pink-red stalks. Give it bright light, constantly moist to wet rich soil, warmth and high humidity, and feed regularly in summer. It is toxic to cats, dogs and horses per the ASPCA, so keep it away from curious pets.

Cold limit: USDA 6b-10 (one of the most cold-hardy taro cultivars; mulch heavily at the cold end of the range, or lift and store corms) (21-30C)

Watch for — Root or corm rot: Cold, waterlogged, poorly aerated soil rots the corm and roots, causing wilting and collapse. This plant loves moisture but needs warmth and rich, aerated soil; ease off watering in cool dormancy.

What colocasia 'pink china''s hardiness rating actually means

Colocasia 'Pink China' is not cold hardy. It is a tropical houseplant that dies if it is left out through frost — there is no zone where it overwinters outdoors in a UK or cold-US climate. Its RHS rating of H1c means: Warm-temperate — can summer outdoors but must come in well before the first frost. On the US scale that maps to USDA 6b-10 (one of the most cold-hardy taro cultivars; mulch heavily at the cold end of the range, or lift and store corms) — 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 5 °C (and never frost). Colocasia 'Pink China' has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

Concretely, for colocasia 'pink china' as it gets too cold:

Below about about 5 °C, growth stalls and the leaves start to show cold stress — dark, water-soaked, or yellowing patches.
A single light frost blackens the foliage; a hard freeze kills the whole plant, roots included, and it does not recover.
Even a cold, draughty windowsill or an unheated porch in winter can be enough to damage it permanently.

Can colocasia 'pink china' go outside or overwinter — and where?

It can holiday outdoors in summer once nights are reliably above 5 °C, in shade or dappled light, hardened off gradually.
Bring it back indoors well before the first autumn frost — do not wait for a frost warning, move it when nights drop toward 10-12 °C.
It will never overwinter outside in a temperate climate; the indoors is its winter home, full stop.

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 'pink china' can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H1c figure above.

Colocasia 'Pink China' hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is colocasia 'pink china' cold hardy?

Colocasia 'Pink China' is not cold hardy. It is a tropical houseplant that dies if it is left out through frost — there is no zone where it overwinters outdoors in a UK or cold-US climate. Indoor-only in almost every home. Colocasia 'Pink China' can only live outside year-round in genuinely frost-free climates (roughly USDA 6b-10 (one of the most cold-hardy taro cultivars; mulch heavily at the cold end of the range, or lift and store corms)); everywhere else it is a houseplant that summers out at most.

What is the minimum temperature colocasia 'pink china' can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about 5 °C (and never frost). Colocasia 'Pink China' has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

What hardiness zone is colocasia 'pink china'?

Colocasia 'Pink China' is rated USDA 6b-10 (one of the most cold-hardy taro cultivars; mulch heavily at the cold end of the range, or lift and store corms) and RHS H1c — Warm-temperate — can summer outdoors but must come in well before the first frost.

Can colocasia 'pink china' survive winter outside?

It can holiday outdoors in summer once nights are reliably above 5 °C, in shade or dappled light, hardened off gradually. Bring it back indoors well before the first autumn frost — do not wait for a frost warning, move it when nights drop toward 10-12 °C. It will never overwinter outside in a temperate climate; the indoors is its winter home, full stop.

What happens to colocasia 'pink china' below its minimum temperature?

Below about about 5 °C, growth stalls and the leaves start to show cold stress — dark, water-soaked, or yellowing patches. A single light frost blackens the foliage; a hard freeze kills the whole plant, roots included, and it does not recover. Even a cold, draughty windowsill or an unheated porch in winter can be enough to damage it permanently.