Common Name: Tiger Flower

General Information

Tigridia pavonia is a perennial, stemless plant growing about 60cm tall from an underground corm.
The plant has been used as a source of food by native peoples for many hundreds of years[]. A very attractive flowering bulb, it is grown as an ornamental in tropical to warm temperate areas.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Southern N. America - Mexico, south through C. America to Honduras.

Habitat

Oak and pine forests, it is also frequent on roadsides and in semi-wild habitats[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Corm
Height	0.60 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Tigridia pavonia is found mainly in subtropical climates in central America. It prefers climates with hot summers and cool winters. The plant is not very cold-hardy, though it can tolerate short periods with temperatures falling to around -8°c. In areas with cold winters the corms should be dug up in the autumn and stored in a cool but frost free place over winter[]. In areas with cool summers the plant might not manage to develop adequate corms for subsequent growing[].
Prefers a well-drained light sandy soil in a warm sunny position[, ]. Likes plenty of moisture in the growing season[].
Plants flower in their first or second year from seed[].
A beautiful, late flowering corm, it self-sows freely with us on a well-drained soil in Cornwall, even very wet winters do not seem to affect this plant[].

Edible Uses

Corm - cooked[, , , ]. Delicious when baked, tasting like a sweet potato[]. The corm is quite small unfortunately and so will never be more than a very tasty occasional treat[]. The corm has an unpleasant, burning sensation on the mouth if it is eaten raw[].

Medicinal

The plant has been used to promote fertility[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow early spring in a greenhouse. It usually germinates freely. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring, after the last expected frosts. If the seedlings are potted up whilst still small and grown on quickly, they sometimes flower in their first year[].
Division of offsets in the autumn. Store the corms in a cool but frost-free place and plant them out in the late spring around 15cm deep[]. It is probably best to pot up the smaller corms and grow them on in a greenhouse for a year before planting them out in the spring.