I would say any more plants that are subtropical in nature will survive better in dry soils during winter. Wet soils stay cold longer (they won't war as easily with sun during the day) and they encourage rot when plants are least able to fight them. A good non bulb example is the saw palmetto. In the Georgia Piedmont region (red clay) these plants are almost impossible to grow without planting them in a sandy berm. 1/2 zone warmer in the sandy soils south and East of the "fall line" where the piedmont clays give way to sandy soil, these palms proliferate. Oddly, this distaste for water is seasonal, since during the heat of summer these palms are quite pleased being inundated. I can also say the same for Jubaea, Nanhorrops, Brahaea and Pheonix. I'm sure that some plants, particularly broadleafed evergreens that do better if the soil is moist when it is cold, provided there is free water in the soil. This allows them to fair well against desiccation. However, at least among the plants that I choose to grow, my battle is mostly the soil somewhat dryish in winter. Steve -----Original Message----- From: pbs-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:pbs-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org]On Behalf Of James Frelichowski Sent: Friday, November 18, 2005 08:51 PM To: Pacific Bulb Society Subject: Re: [pbs] Sisyrinchium macrocarpum Hello Lee, how are you doing? Anyway freezing and thawing is often a bane of plants trying to overwinter. Areas where the soil remains more constant with temperature and frozenness will probably support more plants than where it freezes and thaws regularly. I am not sure about the moisture aspect, it would be good to hear from other members. James Frelichowski Lee Poulsen <wpoulsen@pacbell.net> wrote: Isn't one of the major factors determining cold hardiness for a whole class of plants the amount of moisture in the soil during the coldest weather? I know of a number of different plants that are hardy to a much lower temperature where it is dry in the winter than where it is wet. Especially if they come from a region with typically very dry winters. For example, some of the mediterranean or desert palm species. On the other side, are there plants that are hardier to colder temperatures when the soil is moist than when it is dry during the winter? I've heard it said that there are a number of plants that the Denver Botanic Garden grows that are hardy there but not in the Eastern U.S. including some areas with somewhat warmer winters than Denver has. --Lee Poulsen Pasadena area, California, USDA Zone 10a On Nov 18, 2005, at 11:12 AM, James W. Waddick wrote: > Dear All; > This spring on a visit to the gorgeous Denver Botanic Garden, > I saw plants of Sisyrinchium macrocarpum growing like they were > perennials. Usually yellow flowered S. American Sisyrinchium are > totally tender for me in Zone 5. Panayoti K. confirmed they were > reliably hardy and pointed me to a Denver Nursery where I bought a > couple and then planted them outdoors. > Even after our recent 19 degree overnight low, they look OK. > > Anyone else have experience with Sisyrinchium macrocarpum in > a colder climate and any comments on hardiness in general? _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.ibiblio.org http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php --------------------------------- Yahoo! FareChase - Search multiple travel sites in one click. _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.ibiblio.org http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php