Like Jim McKenney, I'm a little surprised at the absence of Veratrum from most gardens, but I think it can be explained by the fact that these are large-scale plants that go dormant in midsummer, leaving a big gap. However, this can also be said of Oriental poppies, which we see everywhere. Also, they are very toxic, and people who read this are always afraid their children or pets will eat the plants. I can't vouch for the discrimination of children, but my pets have never poisoned themselves on a plant, and one often sees Veratrum growing in pastures, where the cattle, horses, etc., do not touch it. There are two species native to my area, V. californicum at lower elevations and V. viride at high elevations. V. calif. has cream-colored flowers and is a very large plant; V. vir. has green flowers and is a bit shorter, though still stately. I have V. calif. in the garden, having collected the seeds from a nearby roadside and direct-sown them in rich woodland soil in an area that's irrigated in summer (they are moisture-lovers). As I recall, they took almost ten years to flower from seed, but now bloom every year. The scape can reach 7 feet (>2 m). The rhizome (not a true bulb) is huge, with thick feeder roots below it, and makes some offsets, gradually spreading into a colony. Digging one is quite a task. That is probably another reason they are seldom seen in gardens: the mature rhizome is so large that it wouldn't be easy to manage in a nursery container. These are excellent foliage plants if you have a deep border with something in front to fill in as the veratrums wither, such as hostas and deciduous ferns. Mine are behind a planting of the native Disporum smithii. They grow well in sun or shade but flower best in sun. Jane McGary Northwestern Oregon. USA