Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Schomburgk's Dancing Ginger (Globba schomburgkii)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Schomburgk's Dancing Ginger, Golden Dancing Ladies, Yellow Dancing Lady Ginger.

More about schomburgk's dancing ginger

About Schomburgk's Dancing Ginger

Globba schomburgkii · also called Schomburgk's Dancing Ginger, Golden Dancing Ladies · tropical

Globba schomburgkii is considered the most cold-hardy of the cultivated dancing gingers and one of the showiest, producing bright golden-yellow flowers on arching spikes above lance-shaped, hairy-backed foliage from midsummer through autumn. Native to Thailand, Myanmar, and mainland Southeast Asia, it grows 60–150 cm tall and thrives in partial to full shade with reliably moist soil. Because it tolerates slightly more sun than most Globba species, it tends to bloom especially freely given adequate light. Globba schomburgkii is not individually listed by the ASPCA; classify as mildly toxic as a precaution.

Cold limit: USDA 7b–11 · RHS H2 (18–30°C (growing); minimum 5–7°C dormant)

What schomburgk's dancing ginger's hardiness rating actually means

Schomburgk's Dancing Ginger 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 7b–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. Schomburgk's Dancing Ginger shrugs off cold nights but a real, sustained freeze will kill it.

Concretely, for schomburgk's dancing ginger 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 schomburgk's dancing ginger go outside or overwinter — and where?

It can live outside year-round only in the mildest, most sheltered part of USDA 7b–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 schomburgk's dancing ginger 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 schomburgk's dancing ginger

Schomburgk's Dancing Ginger 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.

Schomburgk's Dancing Ginger hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is schomburgk's dancing ginger cold hardy?

Schomburgk's Dancing Ginger 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 7b–11 (and sheltered UK gardens) schomburgk's dancing ginger can stay out; in colder areas it must be lifted, brought in, or treated as a frost-tender plant.

What is the minimum temperature schomburgk's dancing ginger can survive?

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

What hardiness zone is schomburgk's dancing ginger?

Schomburgk's Dancing Ginger is rated USDA 7b–11 and RHS H2 — Tender — survives a frost-free greenhouse or a very mild, sheltered spot.

Can schomburgk's dancing ginger survive winter outside?

It can live outside year-round only in the mildest, most sheltered part of USDA 7b–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 schomburgk's dancing ginger 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.