Arum purpureospathum & dioscoridis hardiness

From: "Marge Talt" mtalt at hort.net> on 2002.10.28 at 03:33:15(9588) I have Arum purpureospathum and A. dioscoridis, grown from seed, living in pots. I would like to plant these guys in the ground rather than keep them +More in the greenhouse, but am a tad nervous, despite the hardy aroid list saying that they are being grown in z 4, Ithaca NY and z 5b, Kansas City, MO, respectively. Ellen Hornig's catalog says A. dioscoridis is z 8 and every other web resource is saying 7b-8 or warmer for both of them. I really don't want to lose these children if I can avoid it. Would appreciate hearing from any of you who grow these in the ground in z 7a or 6b with success and what kind of conditions you're growing them in - sun/shade/drainage - and what kind (if any) protection you're giving them. Thanks! Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland mtalt@hort.net Editor: Gardening in Shade ----------------------------------------------- Current Article: Wild, Wonderful Aroids Part Two - Elephant Ears, Alocasia, Colocasia & Xanthosoma http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/shade_gardening ------------------------------------------------ Complete Index of Articles by Category and Date http://mtalt.hort.net/article-index.html ------------------------------------------------ All Suite101.com garden topics : http://www.suite101.com/topics.cfm/635

From: James Waddick jwaddick at kc.rr.com> on 2002.10.28 at 18:10:06(9590) Dear MArge; No one else has replied so I'll try. I have grown various forms of dioscoridis here off and on for a while including much colder winters and have it in the ground now. The trick (as always in heavy limey clay) is good drainage- raised bed, hillside drainage, added drianage stuff-sand gravel etc. etc. Mixed on purpureospathum. I have it in pots in both a cold frame and cool-frost free greenhouse and it is easy, but have yet to give it full sway outdoors except perhaps by accident. In Zone 7 you should have little or no trouble, but watch drainage always. +More Oh- Full sun or mostly so. Should be easy and worth trying a least a few of your babies if not all. Jim W. -- Dr. James W. Waddick 8871 NW Brostrom Rd. Kansas City Missouri 64152-2711 USA Ph. 816-746-1949 E-fax 419-781-8594 Zone 5 Record low -23F Summer 100F +

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