Hardiest Arisaemas

[Rand Nicholson]

>Although we certainly not the coldest spot where members of the AEG
>live, we almost never have good reliable snow cover and the soil often
>freezes 18 inches (0.5 m) deep. We are zone 6, but we have had -15 deg
>F, in recent years. The Arisaemas which have been thriving for us
>(besides A. triphyllum and A. Draconitum) are Aa. sikokianum, ringens,
>amurense, and heterophyllum.  Arum italicum `Pictum' (or what is the
>proper name now?) is quite hardy too.
(snip)
>  |_____________
>|               \   Mike Slater
>|               /   Southeastern Pennsylvania, z6
>|            *  \   DVC of NARGS and not the AEG
>|_______________/

A bit off topic, but I have an Arum italicum that I have left in the garden
for the first time this winter. We are a bit colder up here (-25 C and -30
C is not unheard of for an extreme), and have the same problems with snow
cover and freezing and thawing. Lots of snow now, but the spring can be wet
and erratic.

Do your A. italicums bloom? I have a couple of interested people waiting to
identify mine (Peter Boyce? and Tom Croat? I'm not sure now: The e-mail
references have gone to Electron Heaven) when I send them a photo of the
plants in bloom. If they survive. They are supposedly a spotted spathe
variety and were labeled "hardy Leopard Lillies" by the confused mail order
company that supplied them.

Kind Regards,

Rand