I am growing a species collected in China by the North American Rock Garden Society. I live in Grayslake, Illinois, which is about half way between Chicago and the Wisconsin border - USDA zone 5. Seeds were donated to me by Jim Shields. I can endorse the observation made by Ina. I had 2 or 3 seed lots germinate and planted over a dozen seedlings in the fertile soils of my vegetable garden. The dog chose that location to bask in the sun during winter - none survived. The veggie garden is 20' deep by 80' long. The single remaining seedling in a seed flat was planted in a bed on the east side of the house in soil amended with peat moss and every other year top-dressed with powdered sulfur. Has come back for 6 years now. Dog still wants to lie in this location in winter time but some chicken wire encourages her to move aside. Theoretically, the roots may have some insecticidal properties since the only other plant treated in this fashion has been Thymus. Boyce Tankersley Director of Living Plant Documentation Chicago Botanic Garden 1000 Lake Cook Road Glencoe, IL 60022 tel: 847-835-6841 fax: 847-835-1635 email: btankers@chicagobotanic.org > > > Is anyone else out there growing I. delavayi or any other species of this > genus in the garden? Be sure to let me know where you are. And if you are in > eastern North America and are able to keep them from year to year in the > garden, I would like to know what you are doing. > >