At 04:30 24/10/04, you wrote: >I purchased 1 bulb of Ridigidella orthantha very early this year (around >Feb or March). I planted it at the corner of my house and nothing >happened all spring or summer... I figured it was dead, but today I found >a great big leaf growing out the ground right where I planted it. Being >in Cincinnati Ohio we could hit freezing temps any day now. Would you >advise I pot it up and bring it indoors? Or let it outside to >adjust? Does this species tend to be a winter grower or a summer >grower? I thought it would behave just like my Tigridias, but it >certainly hasn't so far! Dennis, For me here in Canberra, Australia Rigidella is definitely summer growing (as I think it is in its natural state). It shoots rather late in spring/early summer, flowering in early January here and growing through until autumn from memory. It is definitely in a cycle where it would be least likely to experience frost here, that is for sure! <grin> This species has quite extensive fleshy roots underneath the bulb, so care must be taken to keep this moist at all times as far as I know. It is picky about being moved due to these root disturbances (or so I have been told) and needs excellent drainage. It definitely likes to be left alone once in a place where it is happy, so mine has been undisturbed for a number of years now, slowly producing offsets and even seed one year. It flowers most years for me and the colour is stunning, being a rich orangey red that is almost electric. Definitely well worth finding it's ideal habitat for, as it is a stunner when in flower. Hopefully someone in your own hemisphere can give you more idea of the actual timing (i.e normal months of growth) that you could expect from it where you are. Obviously enough, the months I mention above don't mean much to you, but it does give you an idea that yours is growing closer to the cycle of my hemisphere rather than your own..... I'd be expecting mine to start shooting in around 6 weeks or so I'd think. Good luck. Cheers. Paul Tyerman Canberra, Australia. USDA equivalent - Zone 8/9 Growing.... Galanthus, Erythroniums, Fritillarias, Trilliums, Cyclamen, Crocus, Cyrtanthus, Oxalis, Liliums, Hellebores, Aroids, Irises plus just about anything else that doesn't move!!!!!