Jim: Great essay on provenance. Just a couple of things to add if I might. Provenence isn't always what it seems. Most plants in the Florida Panhandle have hardiness to at least zone 6 and some further north. Originally, many of these plants resided in the Ohio or Delaware Valleys and were relocated during the last ice age. They never bothered to loose their winter hardiness. Additionally, we are already growing one Hawaiian endemic, Lepechinia hastata, which has no problem handling 0 degrees F. Obviously, since Hawaii was a volcano, all plants came originally from somewhere else. This plant probably originated from a nearby high mountian, arrived in the tropical paradise and speciated, but never lost it's winter hardiness. Pushing the envelope is a wonderful learning experience. Tony Avent Plant Delights Nursery @ Juniper Level Botanic Garden 9241 Sauls Road Raleigh, NC 27603 USA Minimum Winter Temps 0-5 F Maximum Summer Temps 95-105F USDA Hardiness Zone 7b email tony@plantdelights.com website http://www.plantdel.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