[Arisaema-l] Arisaema and drought

[Jean Halverson]

I don't keep records, unfortunately, but I wonder if lack of moisture affects when many Arisaema appear.  And I know I shouldn't consider one variable and the observations of one year but I'll do it anyway!

A drier and warmer than normal winter led to a very warm early spring and many plants started growing much earlier than usual.  The earliest Arisaema like the native triphyllum and also thunbergii ssp urushima seemed to come up at the normal time.

A. fargesii, flavum, candidissimum and the native A. dracontium seemed to come up a week or so later than usual. They are usually up by early June but the soil was already dry by then.   I doubt if I had started watering any yet.

Then continued hot and dry with no rain from the end of May until mid July.  A. consanguineum cultivars like The Perfect Wave, Poseidon and Siren's Song usually are up by July 4. Not for me this year.  I had started watering planted areas and finally the younger plants started to appear in mid July.  Then we got 2 inches of rain and another 2 inches the following week and noses of the largest plants are finally appearing.  

Some Arisaema didn't appear at all but they are hopefully just waiting for next year when rainfall may be back to normal.  At least southern Wisconsin isn't in the heart of the drought area.

Jean Halverson
south west Wisconsin USA
zone 5 more or less 



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