General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit: Herb/Forb
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun
Full Sun to Partial Shade
Water Preferences: Mesic
Dry Mesic
Dry
Soil pH Preferences: Slightly acid (6.1 – 6.5)
Neutral (6.6 – 7.3)
Slightly alkaline (7.4 – 7.8)
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 8a -12.2 °C (10 °F) to -9.4 °C (15 °F)
Plant Height: 12 to 24 inches
Plant Spread: 12 to 18 inches
Flowers: Showy
Flower Color: Orange
Pink
Red
White
Yellow
Bloom Size: 3"-4"
4"-5"
5"-6"
Flower Time: Summer
Late summer or early fall
Underground structures: Bulb
Edible Parts: Roots
Eating Methods: Cooked
Propagation: Seeds: Days to germinate: Seeds should germinate in 2 to 6 weeks but can sometimes take longer so do not discard
Can handle transplanting
Will not come true from seed
Other info: self-seeding in favorable areas. Can be sown at any time of the year.
Propagation: Other methods: Division
Offsets
Bulbs
Other: The bulbs should be planted several inches deep and spaced four to six inches apart.
Pollinators: Various insects
Containers: Suitable in 3 gallon or larger
Needs excellent drainage in pots
Miscellaneous: Goes Dormant

Image
Common names
  • Mexican Shell Flower
  • Tiger Flower
  • Peacock Flower
  • Flower of Tigris
  • Mexican Daylily
  • Sacred Aztec Lily
  • Shell Flower
  • Sacred Tiger Lily
  • Tiger Iris
Botanical names
  • Accepted: Tigridia pavonia
  • Synonym: Tigridia lutea
  • Synonym: Moraea pavonia

Photo Gallery
Location: Bea’s garden
Date: 2023-09-16
Location: Red Bank, NJ
Date: 2014-07-21
The astonishing bloom of the Shell flower
Location: Kalama, wa
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: charlottetown, pei, canada
Date: 2017-08-20
Mexican shell flower-pink
Location: My garden
Date: 7-21-21
Tiger Flower Summer flowering bulbs
Location: Red Bank, NJ
Date: 2014-08-17
Location: Red Bank, NJ
Date: 2014-07-21
Location: Red Bank, NJ
Date: 2014-07-21
Loved by bugs everywhere
Location: Red Bank, NJ
Date: 2014-08-17
Planted in full sun
Location: KALAMA WA
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: Latvia University Botanical  gardens Riga
Date: 2018-09-11

Date: 2019-08-05
Photo by Pleinhauser
Location: KALAMA WA
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: In my garden in Kalama, Wa.
Date: Mid Summer
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: Eastsound, WA garden
Date: 2021-07-21
tigridia with opening bud
Location: charlottetown, pei, canada
Date: 2016-09-04
Mexican Shell Flower (Tigridia pavonia)-yellow
Location: Kamala, Hockley, Essex, UK.
Date: 2022-07-30
Location: Willamette Valley Oregon
Date: 2010-08-09 
This winters over for me in my Z8 garden.
Location: York, PA 17402
Date: 06/2013
Mexican Shell flower
Location: Eastsound, WA garden
Date: 2021-07-21
fully open; so ephemeral!
Location: My garden in Kalama, Wa. Zone 8
Date: 2014-07-18
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: charlottetown, pei, canada
Date: 2017-08-19
Mexican shell flower -pink
Location: Big Island Hawaii. Full sun plant bench
Date: 2015-06-13
Location: KALAMA WA
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: Kalama, Wa
Date: 2010-07-04
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: charlottetown, pei, canada
Date: 2013-08-10
Mexican shell flower -red
Location: RHS Wisley, Surrey, UK.
Date: 2022-08-04
Location: My garden round bed
Date: 2019-05-13
Location: Hamilton Square Garden, Historic City Cemetery, Sacramento CA.
Date: 2016-06-08
Zone 9b. First year bloom.
Location: Kalama, wa
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2005-08-17
Location: Kalama, wa
Date: 2022-08-04
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: Aquitania (France)
Date: 2012-07-20
Location: Aquitania (France)
Date: 2012-07-22
Location: Aquitania (France)
Date: 2012-07-20
Location: Aquitania (France)
Date: 2012-07-22
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Date: 2021-08-24
Tiger Flower (Tigridia pavonia).
Location: My garden in Kalama, Wa. Zone 8
Date: 2012-08-02
  • Uploaded by Joy

Courtesy Crownsville Nursery
  • Uploaded by vic
Location: My garden
Date: 2019-05-13
Location: My garden
Date: 2019-05-13
Location: In my garden
Date: 2011-06-13
Location: Eastsound, WA garden
Date: 2021-07-21
tigridia with pistils, stamens, nearby pollinators in a penstemon
Location: Kalama, Wa
Date: 2011-08-06
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: Botanical garden UG, Gent, Belgium
Date: 2015-09-06

credit: Citron
Location: In my garden in Kalama, Wa.
Date: Mid Summer
A collage of  Tigridia blooms
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2014-04-23
Location: My garden
Date: 2019-05-21
Location: On a garden tour
Date: 2010-07-24
Location: My garden
Date: 2019-05-13
Location: Botanical garden UG, Gent, Belgium
Date: 2015-09-06
Location: Kalama, Wa
Date: 2011-08-11
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2005-08-23
Location: My garden in Kalama, Wa. Zone 8
Date: 2014-05-28
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: Aquitania (France)
Date: 2012-07-22
Fading
Location: Aquitania (France)
Date: 2012-07-20
Location: Aquitania (France)
Date: 2012-07-22
Location: Aquitania (France)
Date: 2012-07-22
Location: Aquitania (France)
Date: 2012-07-22
Location: In my garden in Kalama, Wa.
Date: 2011-08-22
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: Botanical garden UG, Gent, Belgium
Date: 2015-09-06
Comments:
  • Posted by jmorth (central Illinois) on Nov 8, 2011 12:18 PM concerning plant:
    Flowers last but a day, flower production continues for several weeks. Exotic and vivid. Quite popular in the Victorian era.
    If north of hardiness zone, must be lifted overwinter, dried off, stored in sand at 45 - 50°.
Plant Events from our members
piksihk On April 26, 2022 Obtained plant
8 bulbs mixed garden state co.
piksihk On May 13, 2019 Bloomed
piksihk On April 1, 2019 Plant emerged
piksihk On March 12, 2019 Obtained plant
$Tree; two pack ; round bed
piksihk On August 27, 2018 Obtained plant
two packs from Dollar tree- potted them with the Wabash iris pot; maybe too old/dry
piksihk On December 25, 2017 Obtained plant
9/5/18 - had leaves but now have died back - no sign of life
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