Roy: I'm hoping that massonias are indeed much hardier than the Zone 9 that I can find in reference books. After visiting SA in 2005, I think there is a lot more potential for temperate gardens that we've been led to believe. That being said, the only haemanthus that has overwintered so far here is H. montanus. What bulbs have you seen growing there in cold locations there that you think needs trying outdoors? Tony Avent Plant Delights Nursery @ Juniper Level Botanic Garden 9241 Sauls Road Raleigh, North Carolina 27603 USA Minimum Winter Temps 0-5 F Maximum Summer Temps 95-105F USDA Hardiness Zone 7b email tony@plantdelights.com website http://www.plantdelights.com/ phone 919 772-4794 fax 919 772-4752 "I consider every plant hardy until I have killed it myself...at least three times" - Avent Roy Herold wrote: > Tony, > > Since when doesn't South Africa not have (near) temperate zones? > Massonia is certainly one of the most widespread ZA bulbs, and I'm sure > it grows in some mighty chilly spots. > > That said, I overlooked a bulb of M. echinata when I was repotting some > seedlings in 2005, and it came up in another pot that got overwintered > in an unheated garage. At the time I was ready to write it off, as > things freeze solid there. It came through just fine, with no marks on > the leaves. The funny thing is that this bulb came up a month before its > siblings this fall. > > I'm tempted to leave a sacrificial pot of M. echinata in the cold frame > this winter, just to see what happens. > > Just got back from my trip to ZA, where it was fun to see the massonia > seedheads blowing across the Little Karoo. Pics are forthcoming. > > --Roy > 59 degrees in Boston today, and snowdrops are blooming. Global warming > is such fun! > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > >