Boyce, In the wild Sentinel Peak regularly gets -10C each year. Thus species such as E. schijffii, E. autumnalis ssp. clavata and E. bicolor should be OK. However, I should imagine that those grown from seed collected from such areas may be a little hardier than those collected from lower altitudes. I have them hear in the heaviest soil on the garden, a clay loam, buried 6 - 7 inches deep, and they come back annually, with temps down to -5C with no problem and no mulch. Here I plant bulbs just deeper than the worst frost can penetrate, and this seems to work here. Thus if the frosts penetrate to 12 inches in Chicago, try planting them 13 inches deep. I think it would be wise to plant mature bulbs this depth though. Remember the deeper you go in the soil, the more stable the temperature, and thus freak warm winter temps. shouldn't break dormancy. One other tip is to go out into the garden early in the morning after a heavy frost. Watch the sun come up, and note where the frost melts first. Thus by planting in these areas, which will get less frost, you'll find a little microclimate for them. Best Wishes, Dave Websites: http://www.theafricangarden.com/ http://www.crocosmiaheritage.com/ Address: David Fenwick NCCPG National Collection of Crocosmia with Chasmanthe and Tulbaghia The African Garden 96 Wasdale Gardens Estover Plymouth Devon England PL6 8TW --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com/). Version: 6.0.507 / Virus Database: 304 - Release Date: 04/08/03