Bea asked >Since we are discussing tropaeolum, I got some seeds of tropaeolum >polyphyllum from Chileflora a couple of years ago and planted then in a >quart pot. I had some germination but did not look after the seedlings >properly and last summer there was no sign of life in the pot. I kept in >anyway in a cool greenhouse over winter and to my surprise I have three >shoots in the pot now. The tubers worked themselves to the bottom of the >pot and I can see then through the drainage holes. Now what? Should I repot >it to a much larger pot? If so, when? >Beaver Creek Nurseries had it on their site that tropaeolum polyphyllum is >hardy to zone 5. Is it true? Could I plant them in my gravel cactus bed >then? This is a very large-growing plant, with mature specimens producing stems over a meter in length. I have seen it growing well in a washtub with a number of holes drilled in the bottom, set on bricks. In nature it grows in sandy, gravelly places in full sun. A half wine barrel would also be appropriate. I am surprised that Beaver Creek Nursery (located in eastern British Columbia and growing most plants in greenhouses) says it is hardy to Zone 5 (winter lows of minus 10 degrees F, I think). They may be basing this on its elevational range in the Andes, but I always regard plants from its region as experiencing similar conditions in winter to those found in the mid elevations of California's Sierra Nevada. It might survive such temperatures with constant snow cover, but I wouldn't leave it outdoors where I live in western Oregon (theoretically Zone 7, though USDA zones do not apply here) without covering it against winter wet. I think my friend with the plant in the washtub took it into his garage in winter. Jane McGary Portland, Oregon, USA