Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Taccarum weddellianum (Taccarum weddellianum)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Weddell's Taccarum.

More about taccarum weddellianum

About Taccarum weddellianum

Taccarum weddellianum · also called Weddell's Taccarum · tropical

Taccarum weddellianum is a rare South American tuberous aroid grown by collectors for its prickly, mottled petiole and large, deeply dissected umbrella leaf. Like related voodoo lilies it cycles through dormancy, producing an arum-type inflorescence before the foliage. It needs warmth, bright filtered light and a dry rest, making it a connoisseur's seasonal tuber.

Cold limit: USDA 10-11 (frost-tender; grow as a lifted tuber in cooler climates) (18-29°C)

Watch for — Failure to break dormancy: A cold or waterlogged rest can stall regrowth; keep dormant tubers warm and dry, and resume watering only once new growth appears.

What taccarum weddellianum's hardiness rating actually means

Taccarum weddellianum 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 10-11 (frost-tender; grow as a lifted tuber in cooler climates) — 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). Taccarum weddellianum has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

Concretely, for taccarum weddellianum 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 taccarum weddellianum 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 taccarum weddellianum can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H1c figure above.

Taccarum weddellianum hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is taccarum weddellianum cold hardy?

Taccarum weddellianum 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. Taccarum weddellianum can only live outside year-round in genuinely frost-free climates (roughly USDA 10-11 (frost-tender; grow as a lifted tuber in cooler climates)); everywhere else it is a houseplant that summers out at most.

What is the minimum temperature taccarum weddellianum can survive?

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

What hardiness zone is taccarum weddellianum?

Taccarum weddellianum is rated USDA 10-11 (frost-tender; grow as a lifted tuber in cooler climates) and RHS H1c — Warm-temperate — can summer outdoors but must come in well before the first frost.

Can taccarum weddellianum 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 taccarum weddellianum 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.