Tigridia pavonia

RHS Plant Profile

peacock tiger flower

Other common names

flower of Tigris, Mexican shell flower, Mexican tiger flower, peacock tiger iris, tiger flower, Aztec lily, peacock flower

Synonyms

Tigridia pavonia mixed colours

Conservatory Greenhouse Bulbs

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A bulbous perennial with lance-shaped leaves up to 50cm long, and orange, pink, red, yellow or white flowers up to 15cm across, with three petals and contrasting central markings, produced in succession in summer

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Loam, Sand

Max Height

1-1.5 metres

Max Spread

0-0.1 metre

Size

Time to Maturity: 2–5 years
Max Spread: 0-0.1 metre
Max Height: 1-1.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Loam Sand

Moisture: Well–drained
pH: Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun

Aspect: West–facing or South–facing
Exposure: Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H1C

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Iridaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Columnar upright
Genus: A genus of 60 bulbous perennials from seasonally dry grasslands or rocky sites in Central America and Peru. Attractive, bright-coloured flowers are fairly short-lived but often open successively from each stem. Each flower has three large outer segments and three shorter, inner ones. The leaves are narrow, sword-shaped
Name Status: Correct
Plant Range: Mexico

How to Grow

Cultivation

Plant 10cm deep. Outdoors grow in well-drained, preferably sandy, fertile soil in full sun. In cold areas lift after flowering and overwinter in dry sand at about 10C. Under glass grow in peat-free, loam-based potting compost with added sharp sand. Keep dry when dormant and repot each spring

Propagation

Propagate by seed sown at around 15C in spring, or by separating offsets when dormant

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Patio and container plants
Mediterranean climate plants

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Prone to viruses