Hello Ina I grow it in Zone 8 in northern Florida with no extra attention for cold protection. Though it does get mulched with oak leaf mulch it is not necessarily before the cold season or that thick. I tend to mulch all my beds at least every other year. Temperatures when it freezes here are rarely lower than 16-17 degrees F though it has gotten down to 13-14 occasionally. Rarely do below freezing temperatures sustain for 24 hours however, it may freeze several nights in a row and many times a winter in a colder winter. Under these conditions this Scadoxus sp. has done well and bloomed annual for 15 years or more for me, no troubles. In fact they produce a fair number of offsets. I have always been surprised at how how hardy it is as it "looks" tender I would think in zone 8-9 it should do fine for you. I don't think my clone is anything special. -- Alani Davis Tallahassee, Florida