Choose tiger flower by outer-petal color: white, gold, or lilac-pink. We list three kinds, all Tigridia pavonia.
Choose white, gold, or lilac-pink tiger flower
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| White | ‘Alba’ for white outer petals and a speckled cup | Expecting a true lily with hanging orange flowers |
| Gold | ‘Aurea’ for golden outer petals | Treating color as a different watering rule |
| Lilac-pink | ‘Lilacea’ for reddish-pink to lilac petals | Inventing extra shop mixes as extra kinds |
| Latin on the tag | Tigridia pavonia | Lilium (tiger lily), Gladiolus, or Abutilon (flowering maple) |
Know your USDA hardiness zone before you pick a type of tigridia that will take your winter. Type your ZIP below.
2023 USDA ZIP listings (PRISM / USDA-ARS). Find Your USDA Hardiness Zone · Official USDA map.
Read the Latin. The three we list are ‘Alba’, ‘Aurea’, and ‘Lilacea’ — all Tigridia pavonia. [1] Outer petals are a solid color; the inner cup is speckled. [2] Color is a shop choice. Wet soil still rots every kind the same way.
What is a tiger flower?
Tigridia pavonia, a summer corm in the iris family. Three large outer petals around a speckled cup. Each bloom lasts about one day.
What colors do they come in?
White, gold, and lilac-pink in the three kinds we list, plus other shop mixes we do not card. All share the same sun and winter plan.
Browse by kind
White tiger flower
‘Alba’ carries white outer petals around a speckled cup. Culture is the same sun, drain, and winter plan as the rest of the genus.
Gold tiger flower
‘Aurea’ shifts the outer petals to gold with the same spotted center. Switching from Alba to Aurea is a color choice, not a different watering rule.
Lilac-pink tiger flower
‘Lilacea’ leans reddish-pink to lilac on the outer petals. Same one-day bloom and the same lift-or-mulch winter.
Not a tiger lily — and not a gladiolus
- Tiger lily (Lilium lancifolium) is a true lily: tall stems, hanging orange flowers, and bulbils in the leaf axils. Tiger flower is Tigridia, about 18 to 24 inches, with a flat, triangular bloom. [3]
- Gladiolus shares the iris family and the sword-like leaves. Its flowers open as a tall spike, not a single wide, spotted cup. [4]
- Flowering maple (Abutilon) is a shrub. Some shops sell a red-tiger maple. That is not a summer corm.
If the tag says tiger lily, gladiolus, or flowering maple, that is not Tigridia. Confirm Tigridia pavonia before you plant.
Is tiger flower a tiger lily?
No. Tiger lily is Lilium lancifolium, a true lily with hanging orange flowers. Tiger flower is Tigridia pavonia, a shorter summer corm with a flat, spotted cup.
If the tag says tiger lily or flowering maple, that is not Tigridia — read the Latin before you plant.
FAQ
Do we list extra shop mixes as extra kinds?
No. Mixed bags are other nursery names. We list three kinds: Alba, Aurea, and Lilacea.
Is Mexican shell flower a different plant?
No. Mexican shell flower is another common name for Tigridia pavonia. Same tiger flower, same summer corm.
Related guides
References
- [1] Gardeners Path -
https://gardenerspath.com/plants/flowers/grow-tiger-flowers/ - [2] NC State Extension Gardener -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/tigridia/ - [3] NC State Extension Gardener -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/lilium-lancifolium/ - [4] NC State Extension Gardener -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/gladiolus/
This note is part of Tigridia Guides.
More type comparisons by plant are gathered in Types of Plants Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors