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  Synandrospadix hardiness???
From: Adam Black <epiphyte1 at earthlink.net> on 2007.05.26 at 01:25:00(15719)
Hi everybody,

I purchased a Synandrospadix vermitoxicus last weekend and was curious
if anyone has ever tested the cold hardiness of this species. I am in
"zone 8" of northern Florida where we normally see several hard freezes
each winter. I will most likely protect this plant for now until I have
additional material to experiment with, but it would be nice to have one
less plant to try to fit into my greenhouse in the winter.

Thanks!
Adam Black

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From: "Julius Boos" <ju-bo at msn.com> on 2007.05.26 at 20:56:33(15722)
Reply-To : Discussion of aroids
Sent : Saturday, May 26, 2007 1:25 AM
To : Discussion of aroids
Subject : [Aroid-l] Synandrospadix hardiness???

Hello Adam,

It was good meeting you again last sat. in Miami!
I have checked the range in South America where Synandrospadix occurs. It
is along the base of the E. Andes, from S. Peru, extending South through
Bolivia into N. Argentia. It also extends its range west across Paraguay
and into W. Brazil.
I have been to Southern Bolivia just North of their border w/ Argentina in
their winter, and though it got close to or to freezing at night (there was
a 'scum' of ice on the puddles on the iron oil-rig drilling floor), it
QUICKLY warmed up during the morning, so that by noon there were clouds of
rare butterflys and other insects out and feeding! WONDERFUL winter
climate!
I`d bet that any tuberous Aroids in that area were safely in dormancy deep
underground! Unless your plant`s parents came from a population WAY South,
I`d say that you should protect your plant from any hard, protracted
freezes! In our Florida winter, your plant will be dormant, and the
tuber/corm is easily stored in a paper bag in the garage with just a puff of
the fungicide 'Captan'. It will sprout come spring and let you know when to
plant it out!
IF not attacked by nematodes, it will grow to a considerable size and
fullness, and bloom multiple inflorescences at a time, seed are plentyful as
it seems to pollinate or have pollinators in Florida.

Good Growing!

Julius

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From: Tony Avent <tony at plantdelights.com> on 2007.05.27 at 12:25:26(15730)
Adam:

The hardiness of synandrospadix seems to depend on where the plant
originated. Most of the plants in the trade seem to be from Uruguay.
Synandrospadix that we have tried from Uruguay were not hardy for us, by
my accessions from Northern Argentina have been fine in the ground for
many years...coldest of 8 degrees F., so far. They flower nicely every
season now. The Uruguay plants also had leaves that were much less
glaucous than plants from Northern Argentina. I hope this helps.

Tony Avent

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