Dear Roy and all, My climate is pretty harsh. I've tried caulescens and it too lasted a few years, but then some seasonal extreme took it too. It is even more generic than A canadense. I like the small delicate form, but not very exciting either. > >I finally took the plunge and planted out some A. splendens a couple of >years ago (I'm guessing that's what you meant instead of A. superbum). >They were fine last winter's deep snow cover. I'm guessing that Ellen >has no problems whatsoever with it. Yes of course I meant A. splendens - duh! I brought back a couple clones from China in '89 or so and eventually gave a bunch to Tony A who sold it for years. It was never hardy enough to make it through more than 1 winter. We rarely get extended snow cover like Ellen does. It and a few other large flower Chinese Asarum did fine in pots in a frost free greenhouse, but these all went away eventually. > >Finally, if you want a fancy Japanese asarum that is both beautiful and >bulletproof, try to find Setsu Getsu Ka. This looks pretty nice and your description is better. > The leaves get two to three times larger in the ground. It >increases like crazy, much faster >than any other Japanese asarum. Worth a try. Many thanks >Saruma henryi is another winner, isn't it? I was an early adopter of >this one, getting plants from a National Arboretum collection around >1990. No problems whatsoever in that time, nice to look at, and not >weedy. I'll have to look around for seeds for the BX. Yes I first grew this from the Nat. Arb too in the 90s and it was remarkably easy from seed. I certainly recommend it to anyone in a variety of climates. If it grows here, it should grow almost anywhere. While going wildly off topic (sorry folks) , have you ever grown any species of Thottea, the 'other' Aristolochid from China? The genus has 3 or 4 or 10 ? species and are mostly tender, but.... Anyone else in cooler climates have success with these ornamental Asaum species? I think they might all be rhizomatous and thus fodder for PBS, but that is pushing things a bit. Thanks for your patience. 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 +