Hi Adam, Joe, and all, The Hymenocallis occidentalis and liriosme plants I have here show one significant difference: H. liriosme blooms in spring, the scape emerging with a new flush of leaves in many cases. H. occidentalis (a.k.a. caroliniana) blooms in summer, mid July to mid August. The leaves are by that time old, and may even already be gone. Gerald Smith has sunk "caroliniana" as a name for occidentalis. See: Flora of North America, vol. 26, p. 283ff. (2002). The number of buds on a scape seems to vary from plant to plant. I suspect that under optimal conditions, there would be a fairly consistent maximum number; but my conditions vary too much from year to year for me to make any credible observations. H. occidentalis is hardy here in central Indiana. I have not tested liriosme extensively, but I have one clump growing in the ground outside the south end of my greenhouse. This plant comes up each year, but so far I have not had flowers on it. My liriosme often bloom in the greenhouse after a winter of having been stored pretty dry. They are not trying to bloom yet this year, however. Jim Shields in central Indiana (USA) ************************************************* Jim Shields USDA Zone 5 Shields Gardens, Ltd. P.O. Box 92 WWW: http://www.shieldsgardens.com/ Westfield, Indiana 46074, USA Tel. ++1-317-867-3344 or toll-free 1-866-449-3344 in USA