Helicodiceros
James Waddick (Sun, 21 Mar 2004 20:59:43 PST)

Dear All;
I am glad we are having a mini-round of comments on
Helicodideros, a monotypic Mediterranean Aroid. I got a couple small
tubers and grew them in a large pot for a few years as follows:
Wintered in a frost free, but cool greenhouse. Summers outdoors in
full sun and hot and dry after the foliage goes dormant in
mid-summer. It first bloomed last year. Altough I could only detect a
slight unpleasant odor, others were appalled. The flower is most
amazing in structure as Angelo has shown, but he does not do justice
to incredibly convoluted leaves. Like a bizarre origami project, the
leaves are a 3 dimensional array or points, horns and surfaces.
Definitely worth growing for the foliage alone.

I have tried growing in outdoors here, but it has never
proven hardy, unlike the closely related Dracunculus vulgaris which
is coming up outdoors right now. Helicodiceros is coming up in the
cold greenhouse and when the last chance of frost is over it will
come out into full sun. It relishes ample water as it is growing, but
dry later.

This is a plant that was something of a challenge to obtain,
but I have been fortunate to find the right growing conditions and
spread a few propagules around. I'd love to grow it in a slightly
milder climate outdoors.

Best Jim W.

ps to Leo. My plant has never had foliage during the winter
--
Dr. James W. Waddick
8871 NW Brostrom Rd.
Kansas City Missouri 64152-2711
USA
Ph. 816-746-1949
E-fax 419-781-8594

Zone 5 Record low -23F
Summer 100F +