Caladium overwintering in zone 7b South Carolina?

[Darren Garrison]

I tend to like perennial plants that I can leave in the soil over winter, but I recently broke down and bought some Caladium tubers that were on clearance for $1.00 per 6 pack. I'm wondering if anyone has any hands-on experience with them surviving over winter outside in zone 7b, especially in South Carolina.

I know that the "expert" sites say that they must be dug up and replanted to survive, but they say the same thing about other plants that I have that DO reliably come back year after year, like canas, elephant ears, and gladiolus. The "experts" even say that the "Christmas Cherry" Solanum pseudocapsicum is killed by zone 7 temperatures when mine are evergreen even in the dead of winter. So I don't put TOO much weight on the "official" zone hardiness. Anyone know for sure if they REALLY can or can't overwinter in 7b?

(Photo of my "not hardy, dig up and take inside in winter" Solanum pseudocapsicum covered in snow):

[nonews]

They have been winter hardy for me in zone 7a, north of Memphis.

I know that the "expert" sites say that they must be dug up and replanted to survive, but they say the same thing about other plants that I have that DO reliably come back year after year, like canas, elephant ears, and gladiolus. The "experts" even say that the "Christmas Cherry" Solanum pseudocapsicum is killed by zone 7 temperatures when mine are evergreen even in the dead of winter. So I don't put TOO much weight on the "official" zone hardiness. Anyone know for sure if they REALLY can or can't overwinter in 7b?

(Photo of my "not hardy, dig up and take inside in winter" Solanum pseudocapsicum covered in snow):