hardyness

[Russell Coker]

Hi Steve.

I'd love to see some hardiness info too, but from the other direction.  I
often see plants listed as "hardy to zone 4", or whatever, but rarely are
the southern limits listed.  Sometimes I think that "the powers that be"
forget that we grow stuff down here too.

Here's what I've done, with varying degrees of success.  If its one I like I
check it out in the Gusmans' book.  I still don't have the second edition,
but it is on my list.  No, zones aren't listed in the book (at least the
first edition), but the native ranges are.  So anything that says Nepal,
Tibet or places like that are pretty much insured a quick death on the Gulf
Coast.  Common sense, right?  I look for ones from places with
subtropicalish climates - southern Japan, China, Thailand, Vietnam, etc. -
as well as those from LOWER elevations.  Lower elevations translate to
warmer soils and humidity, and that is important for me.  The Gusmans often
describe the habitat too.  Some of the tropicals like firmbriatum grow on
limestone.  My soil is acidic, so I planted them with old broken pieces of
mortar.  Hopefully, this will make them happier.  By the way, I've given up
on pots, everything is now in the ground - for better or worse.

On the Plant Delights website, Tony has the climate maps of Japan and China.
These are somewhat helpful, but you have to be careful.  The area I lived
while in Japan is clearly shown as zone 8.  The first winter I was there it
snowed up to my knees and the koi pond froze over so solidly I could walk
across it, and it stayed that way.  I was one unhappy - and cold - camper.
I'm not even sure if zone 7 gets that cold, but for zone 8(b) here, we had
only 3 dips below 30 degrees this past winter, and none last winter.  Of all
of the Arisaemas I could have brought home, I suppose that I was lucky to
bring home ringens.  It is not picky, from places with a climate and
elevation almost exactly like mine, and easy to grow.  I can't tell you how
happy it makes me to have at least one Arisaema that reliably grows, blooms
and multiplies year after year.  Hopefully, I'm on the right track with a
few new ones and I'll have similar luck with them.

Russell Coker
Mobile, Alabama




----- Original Message -----
From: "Steve Hatfield" <sehatfield at INSIGHTBB.COM>
To: <ARISAEMA-L at NIC.SURFNET.NL>
Sent: Thursday, March 29, 2007 4:46 AM
Subject: hardyness


> Hello all
>
> Is there a list of Arisaema somewhere that gives the zone or minimum temp
> for most of the varieties?
>
> Steve
>
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