Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Dracunculus canariensis (Dracunculus canariensis)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Canary Islands dragon arum.

More about dracunculus canariensis

About Dracunculus canariensis

Dracunculus canariensis · also called Canary Islands dragon arum · flowering

Dracunculus canariensis is the tender Canary Islands cousin of the dragon arum — and a rare arum that smells sweet rather than foul. A winter-growing tuberous perennial, it sends up a green dragon-spotted stalk, hand-shaped leaves and a creamy white spathe in spring, then rests dry through summer. It needs frost-free, sunny, sharply drained conditions.

Cold limit: USDA 9-10 (frost-tender; grow under glass or as a container plant and keep above 5°C in cooler regions) · RHS H2 (10-25°C)

Watch for — Frost kills the tuber: Unlike D. vulgaris it is frost-tender. Grow under glass or lift and store the tuber dry and frost-free below about 5°C in cold regions.

What dracunculus canariensis's hardiness rating actually means

Dracunculus canariensis 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 9-10 (frost-tender; grow under glass or as a container plant and keep above 5°C in cooler regions) — 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. Dracunculus canariensis shrugs off cold nights but a real, sustained freeze will kill it.

Concretely, for dracunculus canariensis 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 dracunculus canariensis go outside or overwinter — and where?

It can live outside year-round only in the mildest, most sheltered part of USDA 9-10 (frost-tender; grow under glass or as a container plant and keep above 5°C in cooler regions) 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 dracunculus canariensis 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 dracunculus canariensis

Dracunculus canariensis 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.

Dracunculus canariensis hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is dracunculus canariensis cold hardy?

Dracunculus canariensis 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 9-10 (frost-tender; grow under glass or as a container plant and keep above 5°C in cooler regions) (and sheltered UK gardens) dracunculus canariensis can stay out; in colder areas it must be lifted, brought in, or treated as a frost-tender plant.

What is the minimum temperature dracunculus canariensis can survive?

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

What hardiness zone is dracunculus canariensis?

Dracunculus canariensis is rated USDA 9-10 (frost-tender; grow under glass or as a container plant and keep above 5°C in cooler regions) and RHS H2 — Tender — survives a frost-free greenhouse or a very mild, sheltered spot.

Can dracunculus canariensis survive winter outside?

It can live outside year-round only in the mildest, most sheltered part of USDA 9-10 (frost-tender; grow under glass or as a container plant and keep above 5°C in cooler regions) 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 dracunculus canariensis 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.