Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Tiger Paws Begonia (Begonia bowerae 'Tiger Paws')cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Eyelash Begonia, Tiger Kitten Begonia.

More about tiger paws begonia

About Tiger Paws Begonia

Begonia bowerae 'Tiger Paws' · also called Eyelash Begonia, Tiger Kitten Begonia · houseplant

Tiger Paws is a compact rhizomatous begonia grown for its small, chartreuse-and-chocolate puckered leaves edged in fine white 'eyelash' hairs. It forms a tidy mound from a creeping surface rhizome, thrives in bright indirect light and warm humidity, and stays under 25 cm tall, making it ideal for terrariums, dish gardens, and windowsill collections.

Cold limit: USDA 10-11 (grown indoors in most US homes) · RHS H1b (18-26°C)

What tiger paws begonia's hardiness rating actually means

Tiger Paws Begonia 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 H1b means: Sub-tropical — a normal warm home is fine, but it cannot go outside in a cool season. On the US scale that maps to USDA 10-11 (grown indoors in most US homes) — 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 10 °C (sustained cold below this is damaging). Tiger Paws Begonia has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

Concretely, for tiger paws begonia as it gets too cold:

Below about about 10 °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 tiger paws begonia go outside or overwinter — and where?

It can holiday outdoors in summer once nights are reliably above 10 °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 tiger paws begonia can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H1b figure above.

Tiger Paws Begonia hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is tiger paws begonia cold hardy?

Tiger Paws Begonia 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. Tiger Paws Begonia can only live outside year-round in genuinely frost-free climates (roughly USDA 10-11 (grown indoors in most US homes)); everywhere else it is a houseplant that summers out at most.

What is the minimum temperature tiger paws begonia can survive?

What hardiness zone is tiger paws begonia?

Tiger Paws Begonia is rated USDA 10-11 (grown indoors in most US homes) and RHS H1b — Sub-tropical — a normal warm home is fine, but it cannot go outside in a cool season.

Can tiger paws begonia survive winter outside?

It can holiday outdoors in summer once nights are reliably above 10 °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 tiger paws begonia below its minimum temperature?

Below about about 10 °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.