Hi all , Regards the discussion in last time here are some minds from me . I believe it's must give two pattern for the growing - and flowering times . 1. One is depending from length of the days , more watering , more warm and other points . 2. The other must be genetic fixed . Here are some exemples : Paeonia californica - this is for me a wintergrowing species -these plants are green in the winter by me , differently all my other peonies . Paeonia rhodia - in Rhodes they will grow on the beginn of spring - they start with growing here in my garden now always in this time . ( and this is a really problem for me ) Paeonia clusii - from Crete - they start in Crete depending from the altitude - I saw this plants by my visit on Easter 2000: Plants from 400 m : plants more or less finished with flowering Plants from 600 m: plant flowers Plants from 900 m : plants in buds Plants from 1100 m : shoots came from the ground In my garden they start in February - March . A other example are Cacti - the most have changed here her growing cyrcle from the southern hemisphere to the northern , but here also some exeption ( p.E. Matucana ). In my greenhouse I have a lot of Cacti from South America , it is interesting : Always if the species are near related so they flowering to the same time - so it is sometime possibly to see for new species in which relation ship they are . I agree with Paul that the role of the pollinators is importend : So I have saw ( by Cacti ) that is depending from the altitude the color of the flowers - by some genus of Cacti ( p.E. Rebutia ) change the colors from red to yellow - after my informations are in the higher altitudes few pollinators - so the yellow color must be a better sign . But it is not always the same scheme - I think we will never all understand what "Mother Nature " makes . As we in Germany say : " What is first ? - the chicken or the egg " I would be glad to receive some opinions to my ideas . With best wishes Hans