Zantdeschia hardiness
Jim McKenney (Sun, 14 Jun 2009 12:07:56 PDT)

Jane McGary quoted me as saying “>I've had problems with Z. aethiopica too,
but I think the root of that

is that this species is a winter grower which only very reluctantly

changes seasons.”

And then commented “This is news to me.”

All of my early trials of Zantedeschia aethiopica were of mail order
material back in the 1960s. At that time, this plant was regularly offered
for winter growing in the greenhouse. Such plants arrived ready to go. I’m
pretty sure I remember seeing it in local garden centers too in the autumn,
not in the spring when the other callas were offered.

Planted in the garden in the autumn, such plants surged into growth, only to
be cut severely by subsequent cold.

I’ve also tried to grow this plant in a submerged pot. In my experience such
plants made indifferent growth during the summer and rotted during the
winter. Even now – mild as recent winters have been - I don’t see them in
local gardens.

But the hybrid Zantedeschia do turn up in local gardens occasionally.

Jim McKenney

jimmckenney@jimmckenney.com

Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, 39.03871º North, 77.09829º West, USDA zone
7

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