Jim Waddick got me started playing with hardy crinums here in Indiana. Now I am planting more seedlings out in the open. Certainly not all Crinum are hardy here, and C. x-powellii is probably the least attractive crinum that does survive here. C. bulbispermum seems to do just as well as x-powellii but looks nicer, in my opinion. I have a bunch of different crinums in a very protected spot, but I have grown a few others out in the open field. The most unknown and under-rated Crinum is C. variabile. It seems perfectly hardy here, and it is a real jewel. I have pictures at: http://shieldsgardens.com/amaryllids/Crinum.html/ at the bottom of that page. Contrary to what I wrote there, it probably does not need mulching after its first winter in the ground. It flowers extremely reliably, large bulbs producing three scapes in succession, year after year. Mine are on their third scapes of the season right now. Height is generally under 24 inches, spread may be to 30 inches. Highly recommended! Jim Shields in central Indiana (USA) At 09:18 AM 7/27/2006 -0400, you wrote: >Last night, I ran across another reference to Crinum culture along the >Hudson River: Neltje Blanchan, in her The American Flower Garden, published >in 1909, stated that Crinum x powellii is "Hardy at New York if well >covered in winter". ....... >Jim McKenney ************************************************* 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