My experience with Z. Aethiopica is that this plant is an evergreen in proper conditions, the old leaves will slowly whiter while new leaves are growing, I saw wild specimens filling different places in Tanzania, from very wet to quite dry, but always with some shadow offered by tall plants. They usually flower in August there, but they are always rich in leaves showing some flowers in December, obviously the seasons are opposite there . I usually grow them outside in full ground covering the flowerbeds with high layers of leaves, and I clean the flowerbeds in March, I saw that the tubers of the plants with rotting leaves not cut away, may rot during winter dormant period and small plants will appear , If I clean the whitering leaves the tubers don't rot easily. I grow some plants in pots and I keep them outside till the beginning of October, then I move them inside in cool place till November and then into a warm room with a lot of light from windows, in this way I have them flowering from half December till January... The flowers are a bit smaller but they do last very long ... By hand pollination I had some seedpods ready in late March.. Il giorno 14/giu/09, alle ore 20:10, Jane McGary ha scritto: > This is news to me. Here in Oregon, Z. aethiopica is dormant in > winter and emerges in mid-spring, going dormant by late summer. It is > in flower now. Giorgio Pozzi Travedona (Varese) Italy zone 7/8 studio.pozzitaubert@tiscali.it