Hello Jan. No, they are not fast growers--not like stringbeans. Mine is about 4 years old (maybe 3) and it is about 26" tall with about 16 flowers on it. I don't know how protected it is except fom north winds,. It is on the south east side of a partially dying willow, and shielded from the prevailing SW winds by our house. I have tentatively identified it as Codonopsis tangshen (see the Codonopsis site). I am uncertain as to its age because I can't remember whether I bought it from Chen Yi or grew it from seed. If it was from Chen Yi, (I think it was) I got it as a small tuber about 4 years ago in February, I think. It has gone through 3 winters, each with 0 ° F degrees for about 2-3 days each time in a context of about 2 weeks of single-digit temperatures. It soil is amended clayey loam, very rich in mycorrhizae--and I think this is the key to its survival. A small orchid (Epipactis helleborine) has turned up (from nowhere) on the other side of the same tree. This is the best I can do for you in terms of growing conditions. Where are you located?. ----- Original Message ----- From: <pbs-request@lists.ibiblio.org> To: <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> Sent: Wednesday, August 15, 2007 11:00 AM Subject: pbs Digest, Vol 55, Issue 14 > Send pbs mailing list submissions to > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > pbs-request@lists.ibiblio.org > > You can reach the person managing the list at > pbs-owner@lists.ibiblio.org > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of pbs digest..." > > > List-Post:<mailto:pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> > List-Archive:<http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbslist/> > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Lycoris aurea v. surgens and Codonopsis unidentified (Adam Fikso) > 2. Re: Lycoris aurea v. surgens and Codonopsis unidentified > (Jan Agoston) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2007 12:05:27 -0500 > From: "Adam Fikso" <adam14113@ameritech.net> > Subject: [pbs] Lycoris aurea v. surgens and Codonopsis unidentified > To: <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> > Message-ID: <000001c7de95$52a7a3c0$f7f6eb40$@net> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" > > > > Hello all. My Lycoris aurea v. surgens came through the winter and has 5 > buds. Will bloom in about 3 days. (guess) and. > > A Codonopsis-- unidentified as yet, (possibly tangshen) is in full bloom > though only about 2 feet high. > > No, it's not a bulb but a tuberous geophyte. Is anybody else growing any > Codonopsis?. Adam in Zone 5a > > > > > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Wed, 15 Aug 2007 08:06:31 +0200 > From: "Jan Agoston" <agoston.janos123@gmail.com> > Subject: Re: [pbs] Lycoris aurea v. surgens and Codonopsis > unidentified > To: "Pacific Bulb Society" <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> > Message-ID: > <3b9284cd0708142306l3d8b57cdicf7ab53d96b2c74c@mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 > > Dear Adam,, > > Yes, I have some Codonopsis. They germinated around 3 years ago. I think > they are not fast growers, at least they didn't show their vigor. Are they > hardy? I didn't planted them out, because beeing unsure of the hardiness. > > Jani, Z5a > > > ------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > > > End of pbs Digest, Vol 55, Issue 14 > ***********************************