>Plants do have a way of keeping us guessing, don’t they Aaron? Dear Aaron and all, Isn't that true. I have tried a number of Arum and am surprised at success. Not just italicum and maculatum, but nigrum and byzantinus are fine here as well as hygrophyllum (sp?) and rupicola (from Jane) . A. dioscoridis has survived various times here and I may still have a small patch of sintenisii. A. concinnatum is just OK in the cold frame. And if those who are interested have never tried the cv 'Chameleon', it is terrific. Large foliage marked wildly with silver lines, spots, blotches and streaks. I think it is straight italicum, but the final decision is unclear. The flowers look a lot like italcum. Ellen Hornig offers an excellent selection at Seneca Hills Perennials. Most of these have foliage in the fall and it is often badly damaged, but new foliage emerges in spring and all bloom, although some better than others. Most produce seed, too. Even more surprising is a sturdy group of Biarum tenuifolium out in the open in a raised bed although I have yet to see it bloom. And then there's the hardy Typhonium, Dracunculus, Amorphophallus and other fascinating aroid genera. Go Arum! Jim W. -- Dr. James W. Waddick 8871 NW Brostrom Rd. Kansas City Missouri 64152-2711 USA Ph. 816-746-1949 Zone 5 Record low -23F Summer 100F +