Arisaema hardiness

[George R Stilwell, Jr.]

Here's an excerpt from one of Nina Lambert's messages. I find it
most enlightening on the subject and consistent with my experience
here in Raleigh, NC (considering the difference in zones between here
and Ithaca, NY).

Here, A. sikokianum and A. ringens are both such early risers
that they require protection, careful siting, or both to prevent damage
from spring frosts.

And, the much hotter sun in summer will definitely cook the later species
and drive the early ones to dormancy. The worst problem is the very
dry summers. It led to my over-watering A. flavum to the point that
I haven't been able to keep them growing more than two seasons so far.

Ray
<GRSJr at Juno.com>

>>>As an update:   Aris ringens, sikokianum, heterophyllum and thun.
v.urashima manage the pits of our temperature but are readily done in by
the late frosts.   A. sikokianum comes up so early (and when it emerges
does it so fast) that given a mild March, it gets up, moving and zapped
before anyone thinks to look for it.  Late frost does equal damage to all
four and this yard gets hard frost through the first week of June.
Aris.
ringens is zapped without cover should the temp drop at night but it
comes
up later, mid-May?, and thus somehow is easier to protect.

On the other hand, A. tortuosum (grown from seed from a variety of
sources),  A. candidissimum  an  a truly handsome A. angustatum v
peninsulae f variegata (from Heronswood maybe four years ago) have done
well.   The A. tortuosum come up late-ish but the three groups emerge at
different times, from mid-May until July.   The  Aris ang. has taken
spring
frost in stride.   Only problem it had last year was being burned by an
unseasonably hot day in  April - 80 something degrees F as I remember -
which cooked (discolored) some of the eastern facing leaves.  The plants
themselves survived a later frost and fruited but set little seed due to
a
dry July.

A candidissimum and one clump of A. tortuosum come up so late, not until
July, sometimes not until the second week of July, that late frost is not
a
concern.  The fomer has been fine here for over 11 years.  It used to get
the dwindles planted under spruce where it got too dry in the summer.
Where it is growing now, it throws a pup or two each summer.

Caveat:  We have not had any consistent dips below zero (F) without snow
cover in the past 7 years.

Seasonal best wishes....

Nina<<<


___________________________________________________________________
You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail.
Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com/getjuno.html
or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]