Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Tiger Flower (Tigridia pavonia)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Tiger flower, Mexican shell flower, Peacock flower, Oceloxochitl.

More about tiger flower

About Tiger Flower

Tigridia pavonia · also called Tiger flower, Mexican shell flower · flowering

Tigridia pavonia is a showy bulbous perennial from Mexico and Central America, producing exotic, large (10–15 cm), three-petalled flowers in vivid reds, pinks, oranges, yellows, and white — each heavily spotted at the centre — from midsummer through to early autumn. Individual flowers last only one day, but each stem carries multiple buds that open in succession over several weeks. It needs full sun, fertile well-drained soil, and warm summers to perform at its best; in cooler climates the bulbs should be lifted before the first frost. No toxicity to cats or dogs has been formally reported, but ingestion is still best avoided.

Cold limit: USDA 7-10 · RHS H2 (10–30°C)

Watch for — Botrytis on stored bulbs: Tigridia corms stored over winter in damp conditions are prone to botrytis (grey mould). After lifting, cure corms in a warm, airy spot for one to two weeks, dust lightly with sulphur powder, and store in dry compost or paper bags at 7–10°C.

What tiger flower's hardiness rating actually means

Tiger Flower 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 7-10 — 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. Tiger Flower shrugs off cold nights but a real, sustained freeze will kill it.

Concretely, for tiger flower 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 tiger flower go outside or overwinter — and where?

It can live outside year-round only in the mildest, most sheltered part of USDA 7-10 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 tiger flower 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 tiger flower

Tiger Flower 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.

Tiger Flower hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is tiger flower cold hardy?

Tiger Flower 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 7-10 (and sheltered UK gardens) tiger flower can stay out; in colder areas it must be lifted, brought in, or treated as a frost-tender plant.

What is the minimum temperature tiger flower can survive?

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

What hardiness zone is tiger flower?

Tiger Flower is rated USDA 7-10 and RHS H2 — Tender — survives a frost-free greenhouse or a very mild, sheltered spot.

Can tiger flower survive winter outside?

It can live outside year-round only in the mildest, most sheltered part of USDA 7-10 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 tiger flower 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.