Re-emergence

[Adam Fikso]

I think that another question is:  What was it doing before you saw it
again?  Sitting underground and dormant for years?    Growing every year but
unnoticed by you?

I'm struggling with a similar problem in that I am seeing A. triphyllum in
4 places where (I swear) it didn't exist  last year.  Each of the four
plants is much larger than I have ever seen anything grow to be before in
the first season from seed. Two have flowered at about 12".

On the other hand, two plants that I bought from nurseries which had tubers
at least an inch or more  across, have thrown up tiny plants that are no
larger than what I am growing from this year's germination ,  i.e., about 2"
tall.  I am very puzzled. Isn't the tuber  a clue to the size of the plant
it will generate?   Did the tubers rot and regenerate into smaller tubers
and then grow in order to show up this month?    I would appreciate the
observations of others, in this matter.  Thanks, Adam Fkso, Glenview,IL
Zone 5a

----- Original Message -----
From: "Diane Whitehead" <ua024 at VICTORIA.TC.CA>
To: <ARISAEMA-L at NIC.SURFNET.NL>
Sent: Tuesday, June 10, 2003 4:13 PM
Subject: Re-emergence


> A month ago I had a backhoe in to dig out a bamboo grove. To give the
> machine access, I dug out plants that were in the way, an easy job as I
> had redone that bed last year, and put them in pots. Now a few plants that
> were run over by the huge tracks have put up leaves, including an
> arisaema.  This surprised me because I hadn't planted any arisaemas there.
> I've been puzzling over this as the leaves get bigger day by day, and I've
> pulled out my book of garden maps.Aha! That answered the question.  In
> 1986 I planted Arisaema jacquemontii, from seed I bought from one of Chris
> Chadwell's collecting trips.  The plant grew for a few years and flowered
> at least once, but I hadn't seen it in many years. I don't know whether it
> was desperation at being run over, or the open sky above now that
> overlying vegetation has been removed that has caused the re-emergence.
>
>  Diane Whitehead  Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
> maritime zone 8
> cool mediterranean climate (dry summer, rainy winter - 68 cm annually)
> sandy soil
>