Re: [aroid-l] Cultural tips for Chlorospatha?

From: Aroideae at aol.com on 2004.03.04 at 03:42:54(11214) hi michael, you're very lucky to have these plants! Chlorospatha occurs from sea level to 3000 m, many in cloud forest. they don't go dormant and require constant moisture at the roots, high humidoty and shady conditions with good air circulation. i don't know where you're located, but you might not be able to grow them without considerable modification of the environment. i've grown them for many years and keep them in the greenhouse, under ca. 80% shade, 60--90 deg F, in well-drained medium of either all sphagnum moss or a mixture of peat-based potting mix cut by half with coarse perlite and some orchid mix. C. mirabilis occurs at low elevation, 0--150 m usually, and is a strong grower, so that's a good choice. i don't know what C. "china" is. didn't know there were any cultivars. do you know the 'parent'? C. mirabilis grows 'erect', so you can bury the stem, but most Chlorospatha grow with the stem running along the soil surface and they'll rot off if you bury the stems. they don't like the cold and don't like heat. lynn +More Can anyone give me any recommendations on growing Chlorospatha? In particular C. mirabilis and C. "china". Are these seasonally dormant aroids or are they considered to be evergreen? I understand they are from Humid areas of Western South America, but are they high altitude cloud forest plants or are they from lower elevations areas where temps are normally alot higher? Thanks for any help in advance. Michael Mattlage

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