Plants called Tiger has ideas for a themed planting design for Chinese New Year 2022 and beyond. Indeed the plants don’t have to be for Chinese New Year, it could just be that you’re fond of tigers. And as some of the plant suggestions need to be houseplants in the United Kingdom, you could have a themed design even if you don’t have an outside garden!
A List of Flowers and Plants called Tiger
Well there’s actually two lists, as I’ve divided them into outdoor plants and flowers, and houseplants. Each list is alphabetical. Then we can look at the plants individually, including care tips and planting suggestions. This isn’t an overall definitive list and focuses on garden plants rather than houseplants. The reason for this, is so that you can start looking for them in plant nurseries and garden centres and get them growing outside in your garden this summer. Houseplants are generally easier to find and grow year round. Check out 15 House Plants called Tiger blog (link at end)
Outdoor plants called Tiger
- Canna ‘Bengal Tiger’
- Daylily ‘Bold Tiger’
- Iris pseudacorus ‘Berlin Tiger’
- Marigold ‘Tiger Eyes’
- Rosa ‘Eye of the Tiger’
- Tiger Lily
- Tigridia pavonia
- Viola cornuta ‘Tiger Eye Red’
House plants called Tiger
- Crassula picturata
- Cryptanthus ‘Tiger’
- Kalanchoe humilis ‘Tiger’
- Tiger orchid
See the tiger named house plants blog for more on these and more house plants (link below) plants
Outdoor plants and flowers called Tiger
Canna ‘Bengal Tiger’
This stunning canna has variegated green leaves with yellow stripes, which is how it got its name. Showy orange flowers on stalks up to 6 ft high complete the exotic look.
It’s a great plant for the back of a sunny border, but interestingly can grow in up to 6“ of water too! Introduce the plant gradually to an aquatic environment. It will also grow happily in a container.
Canna ‘Bengal Tiger’ is not frost hardy so you’ll need to dig it up in the autumn.
Daylily ‘Bold Tiger’
You may find this listed as Daylily ‘Bold Tiger’ or Hemerocallis ‘Bold Tiger’.
Bright orange flowers with a red centre are certainly a bold colour choice for a garden! But this hardy herbaceous perennial is worth cultivating if the boldness appeals – not least as the flowers are fragrant too.
Iris pseudacorus ‘Berlin Tiger’
Iris pseudacorus x ‘Berlin Tiger’ is a plant for the pond margins, the banks of streams and bog gardens; although it does enjoy the sun. It has deep yellow flowers lined with brown along the petal’s length.
Marigold ‘Tiger Eyes’
Marigold ‘Tiger Eyes’ is the Tagetes type of marigold; so you may find it under the name Tagetes patula ‘Tiger Eyes’. It’s a dwarf double French marigold with a central tufted golden crest and maroon outer flower rays. Easy to grow from seed it will flower right into the autumn. As a dwarf flower it grows well at the front of the border and in patio pots and will attract butterflies.
Rosa ‘Eye of the Tiger’
Rose ‘Eye of the Tiger’ is a floribunda shrub rose, with yellow semi-double blooms and a red centre ‘eye’. Although the fragrance is light, it’s a garden worthy rose if you like something a little bit different that has wildlife value too.
Tiger Lily
Tiger Lily, Lilium lancifolium, Lilium trigrinum
An absolute stunner of a garden flower. The back-curving orange petals are splashed with brown spots and the flowers are held on 4 – 5 foot tall stalks. A bulbous perennial they deserve centre stage in late spring/early summer.
Tigridia pavonia
Tigridia pavonia, Tiger Flower, Peacock Tiger Flower, is a tender bulbous perennial, definitely not frost hardy. Possibly not one for the beginner gardener it needs full sun, but will grow in the border in well drained, light soil. You may prefer to grow it in a container. The triangular flowers come in multiple colours, red or orange with darker flecked markings are common. The individual flowers only last for one day.
Viola cornuta ‘Tiger Eye’
Although this Viola is often grown as an annual, it is a small perennial. Excellent in a cottage garden planting scheme and in containers, these hardy little Viola have showy blooms. The flowers come in yellow with bronze veins or, my personal preference, red bronze with yellow centre, and deep bronze veining.
Viola cornuta is also known as the horned violet, or horned pansy. Grow from seed or small plants for pollinator friendly display until the frosts (and possibly until Christmas)
Tiger orchid
And for the last of our plants called tiger for Chinese New Year, we actually have two plants for the price of one. Firstly the tiger orchid which is also known as Grammatophyllum speciosum, Giant orchid, Sugar Cane orchid, Queen of the Orchids. This is the world’s tallest orchid, with some growing up to 21 feet or more. A giant tiger orchid weighing two tons was one of the highlights in the 1851 Crystal Palace Exhibition.
Other orchids known as tiger orchids include Rossioglossum grande with red and yellow striped blooms. These are tricky-ish to grow as houseplants but are considerably smaller (and still called tiger).
Tiger orchid, Grammatophyllum speciosum, Blooming at Singapore Botanic Gardens
and finally…
We will revisit tiger plants for inside later on in this Year of the Tiger, perhaps not so easy to find ones as are in our list here. There are an amazing number of plants called tiger when you start looking! Although some of them go by other nicknames and common names too, such as zebra and fishbones.
And for those who like to know these things: The last Year of the Tiger was in 2010.
For further gardening advice and inspiration, check out Plews Potting Shed blogs, including the selection below and our monthly Tipsheet – You could come and find us on Instagram Pinterest and Facebook too.
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