Wow!

My interest developed suddenly- but I have something of an obsessive personality, I dive in head first. DH not too interested in plants, although he does enjoy a large alocasia very much and he is anxiously waiting to see a venus fly trap start improving.

I'm not sure I have enough experience to draw a favorite fom just yet. I love all I've grown so far.

Come one now, DH is more important than a plant....he does let me pretty much do what I want as far as the plants go (within reason and budget of course!)

Still pretty new- don't have a favorite place, yet. Can't really afford a lot of retailers, so I'd have to say ebay when I find a good deal. And other gardeners, of course!

For now, things are in pots. Next spring the area behind our pond will be ready for plants- then in the ground they go! It'll be an awesome microclimate- warmer in winter, cooler in summer, strong filtered light, and not nearly so dry in summer, too!

I don't even consider another place- all that comes to mind is how do I get all my plants, water lilies, and koi moved- ugh!

Several callas, arum, colocasias, philos, alocasias, xanthosoma- like I said, just starting out!

Aroids I must have......colocasia milky way. Actually got one last summer, but it was a little late in the summer and at the time I didn't have the best place to nurture it, and what do you know- the old AZ summer killed it quite quickly...aahhh, still very sad.

Ok, don't shoot me- if I had a wad of money to blow, I'd buy a canna- Creamy Stripes, what a little beauty- gotta have it!

Now, Susan, where are your answers....

P.S. still warm and sunny here. Have tropical water lilies blooming every day. Going to put up a temporary greenhouse next week- for those "chilly" nights this winter. Sorry couldn't help myself :-)

im gay can i join in??

Absolutely! Actually, I think it'd be nice to hear from anyone who wants to join in.

Steve, you're gonna have to explain your name first, though...the lizard?

Okay, but we get to call you "Stevie", and I do like lizards, actually. My daughter and I raised a couple when she was about 9 - they died, but we tried. One was the regular old chameleon, and the other was one of those that if it's tail get's cut off, it grows another one???

Actually, I'd love to have an iguana. I'm into all sorts of critters. I even love snakes, but I've only seen one in the garden so far, a very small garter snake. Pretty thing, though. They eat the nasties, so you go guy! My brother raised several lizards and snakes for awhile because his company made the cages for them. I don't know if he still has any or not, I need to check.

Okay, for my answers:
How did your interest develop - suddenly

What is your favorite group of araceae? Colocasias, alocasias, arisaemas, and am still working on it.

If you had to choose between a man and an aroid, which would it be? No question--an aroid, so no scale tipping necessary.

What is your favorite place to buy aroids? Name droppers on the forums, local nuseries, online nurseries, trades--Just did a trade for guess what? Amorph 'konjac'! YEAH!

Do you grow your aroids in the ground--in the ground, but I am going to winter some tubers over indoors in my old pantyhose. I prefer outdoors, though, so I don't have to do all the prep work for winterizing.

If you had a choice of anywhere else to live which would be more conducive to aroid culture, where would it be? Hawaii, or one of the French Polynesian islands.

What aroids are you currently growing? most of you know, but A. plumbea nigra, macrorhiza, lutea, wentii, C. esculenta, C. esculenta Fontanesii, C. e. 'Black Magic', C. e. 'Illustris', C. gigantea 'Thai Giant', C. e. 'Ruffles', Remusatia Vivipara, dracontium vulgare, arum maculata, typhonium venosum, typhonium divaricata. I have bulbs of calla lily aethiopica, but I think I'll wait until spring to plant.

What aroids are on your list of "must haves", but haven't been able to get yet? Philodendrum bipinnatifidum; I'd love to have A. konjac 'Nightstick' (like that will happen--hey guys my birthday is coming up!!); whatever Alocasia or Colocasia I don't have, like 'Robusta', 'Metallica', Xanthosoma 'Lime Zinger' or it's lookalike (LOL); tons of arisaemas - love them, too.

What aroids are on your sorta, kinda, maybe, might wanna have it, but aren't really sure? Callas in all colors available.

Which aroids would you NOT recommend to anyone, and state your reason--I haven't acquired enough knowledge or experience to answer.

AND (DRUMROLL), if you had a huge wad of money to tip your favorite Chippendale - no, no, no, I'm getting way off the subject here - to buy a really rare, expensive, aroid, what would it be? I really don't know. I would love to be able to grow A. paeonifolius, and I may just try it next year, even tho it supposedly is only hardy to zone 8. I think I could sustain it in my backyard microclimate over the winter.

So there - I waiting to hear from the rest of youse ladies!

Susan

I asked for bulbs for Christmas when I was 5, tulips I think. I've been growing anything and everything since then.

No favorites, I like them all, well, the philodendrums would NOT be my favorite, they get too big too quick and I get tired of fighting with them.

Aroids or man, hmmm, well, he would go before the plants.

No favorite place, I buy 'em where I find 'em.

Most of mine are in the ground, some are in pots just because I have so many trees, they stay out all the time.
I'd move back to Hawaii in a second. Otherwise I'd stay right where I am.

Titanium, konjac, paeonifolius, another couple I can't think of the names off the top of my head, around 20 kinds of alocasia/colocasia, assorted philodendrums and tropicals and more tropicals, not nec. aroids.

I have a want list 10 miles long, I need to win the lottery!

If I ain't got it I want it, whether I need it or not.

None I wouldn't recommend, except of course philos for the reasons above.

Actually if money were no object aroids wouldn't be on the top of my list of plants to buy, gingers, plumeria, white canna, a bigger yard.....

It's still warm here, the leaves are budding out on the trees, they lost them all to Rita, the brugs are all fixin' to bloom, the "spring" bulbs are coming up-paperwhites, blood lilies, amaryllis, lycoris. I was out this am planting stuff from this weekends plant trade till I had to come to work. Supposed to have a cold front come through, tomorrow in the 50's!! Too cold for me! I'm digging out the electric blanket tomorrow!!
Tally HO!

Beachplant - we were 37 degrees last night, 35 tonight. Brrrrr. Highs in the 50s today and tomorrow, then back into the high 60s remainder of the week. Lucky you. Been to Galveston; love ZZ (saw them 3 times in concert).

I'm am trying to fend off getting into gingers. I currently only have the common white butterfly (hedychium), but I oh so could really get into them more. I'm sticking with aroids and butterfly nectar/host plants for now. But, oh, to have a warmer zone at my dirty little fingertips!

Susan

How did your interest develop - suddenly or over a long period of time, or was it forced on you so that you eventually became the addict's codependent? (((It developed very quickly. It's an expensive addiction.)))

What is your favorite group of araceae? Philos? Colocasias? Amorphs? Callas? Break it on down, ladies. (((Philodendrons are my favorites. Alocasias come in second.)))

If you had to choose between a man and an aroid, which would it be? And, if an aroid, which aroid would tip the scale in its favor? (((I'd choose the aroid in a heartbeat!!! LOL, Philo Santa Leopoldina would beat out a bad case of the blues any day!(It's one of the ones I don't have, but want.)))

What is your favorite place to buy aroids? Ebay? Local nurseries? Online nurseries? Overseas nurseries? Trades with other aroidiacs? (((Locally, I've had good luck finding a hard-to-come-by variety- the ever beautiful Philo Pink Princess. I've actually not bought any of my Philos online, but I would if I had the money. LOL Asiatica has an Alocasia(Okinawa Silver) and Colocasia(Coffee Cup).)))

Do you grow your aroids in the ground or in pots and then have to heft them indoors for the wiinter; and.... whichever place you grow them, which do you prefer? (((All my babies are grown in pots. Some spend the summer outdoors, but they come back in for the winter rest.)))

If you had a choice of anywhere else to live which would be more conducive to aroid culture, where would it be? (((Dare I say it? Florida- hurricanes and all.)))

What aroids are you currently growing? (((Philos, EEs, Syngoniums, Dieffenbachias, Aglaonemas....I think that's it?)))

What aroids are on your list of "must haves", but haven't been able to get yet? ((( Oh Susan! Well, I mentioned three previously. I'll add to that- A. Macchoriza, A. Hilo Beauty, Aglaonema 'Pride of Sumatra'.)))

What aroids are on your sorta, kinda, maybe, might wanna have it, but aren't really sure? (((Philo 'Black Cardinal', Philo 'Bloody Mary', Philo 'Emerald Prince', Philo(blah blah blah) LOL)))))

Which aroids would you NOT recommend to anyone, and state your reason. (((I haven't come across any just yet, but then again, I've only been growing for a little over 1 year.)))

AND (DRUMROLL), if you had a huge wad of money to tip your favorite Chippendale - no, no, no, I'm getting way off the subject here - to buy a really rare, expensive, aroid, what would it be? (((There are a host on Asiatica.....I think I've named them all in this post! But then again, I'd need to check my own member page to even remember what it is that I want! There are many!)))

This was fun Susan!

GH

GH - glad you had fun! I have some offsets of Alocasia macrorhiza that I'd be happy to share with you, BTW.

Susan

I jumped right into Alocasia's when I bought three on Ebay. Love the black stem with the leather like leaves (fontasii (SP?) Now I have Illustria, Harlequin, Red Stem and Black Magic.

Would love an offset of the macrorhiza Susan. What do we need to do to get one.

Well, I'll have to go dig them up. Anybody know how I can do that w/o upsetting mother plant? I have one that is fairly large, another medium, and another small.

But, Josette, you haven't responded to the poll! Come on now. Even if you only have 3 plants now, you must have answers to the other questions......

This way, we get to know each other a little better and what each other has in the way of aroids, and we can trade down the line.

You may want to wait until spring to get your offset, but let me know. I really want to give one to GH in Maryland since that is on her "want" list, too.

Susan

Look at me. I'm a girl. Weeeee!

Susan, this story of mine is gettting kind of old, but I found my first Amorphophallus at a yard sale in PA. It was a real find for me, a mystery that led me to GW and the knowledge of so many other kinds of plants in general. After that I was able to gather different kinds of similar bulbs. Bulbifer is a favorite, but it just died last week. Grown from a bubil, it appears that there wasn't good enough drainage, but who knows? Konjacs and Sauromatums are coming out of my ears, and I'm about Amorphed out now. :) Arum

I think we should let the boys play, too (gay and straight) ...but I'm one of those who'd choose a man (the one I've got, anyway) over an ariod. Lucky me- neither one insists on exclusivity, so I get both!

I got into the game gradually. My dad gave me my first plant when I was 5, a Philo scandens. The addiction has increased a lot in the last 5 years or so- since my introduction to GW, which brought an introduction to many more plants than I could find available around here (& to vendors of said plants.)

Favorite Group-- I guess I'd have to say Philos (with a nod and smile to GrowHappy. I know Philos are the most popular Ariod on this forum.) At least there's not much problem of them getting overgrown quickly here in Z4. Rhaphidophoras are up there, too, but I don't have much variety available. ...foliage Anthuriums, too...(whine) Do I have to pick just one??

Favorite place to buy -- It has been a little here, a little there.

Of course, in Z4 I grow my plant in pots (with the expection of our native Arisaema) & schlep many of them in & out.

In spite of the growing conditions, I do like where I live. I might try the Big Island if I had to go somewhere else.

Currently growing-- a couple Aglaonemas, a few Alocasias, an Amydrium, 8-10 Anthuriums, some Caladiums, few each of Colocasias, Epipremnums, Homalomenas, and Monsteras, Quite a few Philos (gloriosum, elegans, ornatum, squamiferum, mamei, warscewiczii, pinnatifidum, bipinnatifidum, glaucophyllum, plowmanii, et al...a buch of hybrids too; you probably don't want me to list them all!), a couple Rhaphidophoras, a Schismatoglottis, Scindapsus, a Xanthosoma and a Zamioculcas. (Can you tell I went through the alphabet to come up with my list?)

Want, but don't have: Cercestes mirabilis, Philo grazielae, any shingle-leafed Rhaphidophora...there are several things I'd like.

I'm not sure about "might wanna's", but I have some wants that I'm holding off and learning more about first. I'd like to try some Arisaemas other than those hardy here, but I'm going about it slowly. (Bluebonsai101 from here was nice enough to give me some advice when asked, and I'm doing my homework in my "spare" time.)

There aren't any that I wouldn't recommend to anyone. It can be kind of inconvenient and difficult to overwinter some of the Alocasias & Colocasias in this climate, so I wouldn't recommend large, fibrous-rooted ones to my neighbors.

Big wad of money on one? I don't know...around $50 is a big wad of money for a single plant, to me. I prefer to buy several small cuttings of something not box-store common, but not so rare and pricey it would break my heart if it died, either.

BlueBonsai is a great source of information on this forum. Unlike many of us who are "in and out"; he persists and is always there to help us out of our quandaries. So far, I am trying arisaemas - would like to try more, but unless I experience some success with the one I planted last year, and the year before, and the seeds I've acquired, I'm not going to try them again. I don't know if it's our heat in the summer or what. I amend my soil, so that shouldn't be it. Darn, I really want that nepenthoides to grow.

Oojen - as I say, the good ones are either married or gay! My best gardening bud in the whole wide world, my neighbor and friend, Ralph, is gay, and he and I talk about ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING - something I never could do with a straight man. He's such a fine person.

You must have a greenhouse or sunroom to overwinter all of those. I know philos don't require tons of light, but I'm sure they like "some"?

My gardening interest began when I moved from Kansas to Oklahoma. I had a friend in Norman who liked plants and I started to collect a few - very, very few. I then went to a garage sale of begonia plants. I fell in love with them (no, not the bedding ones); rhizomatous, canes, shrubs, tuberous, thick-stemmed, all but Rex (too temperamental). I indulged that addiction for many many years. Then I gave up gardening and begonias for several years until I bought my house 7 years ago. This summer I started to collect alocasias and colocasias, and a few other aroids - I now have a small konjac tuber (YEAH!), some typhonium, dracunculus, arum, am getting some skunk cabbage seeds for my bog tub. But the 'casias and Xanthosoma are my love for now. I am going to try P. binnatifidum in the ground here - people keep telling me it is hardy enough for my zone.

I also butterfly/moth garden as well. I have a number of host and nectar plants. So far, I have hand raised BSTs, GSTs, and a snowberry clearwing moth. I also get gulf frits on my passiflora. Next year, I hope to get Monarchs (Milkweed), cloudless sulphurs (cassia), pipevine (duh, aristolochia), spicebush swallowtails (spicebush), but I really like the big moths like the sphinx. I had two HUGE eumorpha achemons on my Virginia Creeper this year----fantastic!

MacDaddy - are you cross dressing again?

I thought of another Alocasia I want, BlueBonsai - 'Coffee Cup' - I really think that is pretty!

Susan

Hi Susan! My worry about Arisaemas is the winter--- I'd have to leave them in pots and put them somewhere like the unheated, but insulated garage. I'd love to grow some, but in the back of my mind I can picture myself poking around in the soil by late spring, looking for tubers that are no longer there :(
Yep, I have a "it's-going-to-be-really-nice-someday" sunroom in progress. We've been involved in a major remodeling project for a little over a year. Carpenters did the heavy structural stuff, but I took on the finishing: some of the sheet-rock, quite a bit of taping and mudding, all the woodwork, tile, some glass block work, painting...I'm slow, but I work cheap! I have yet to get the sunroom floor tiled ...maybe next summer when I can haul everything outside. I'm going pour a pan for a big sink where I can shower the plants...maybe this winter. So, for now I've got a room with lots of windows and good heat, but no aesthetics. The plants don't care whether the woodwork trim is up, or whether I have to cart milk & oj jugs of water upstairs.
Ooo, I love Sphinx, too! Acidantheras are good for those up here. Our wild grapes play host to several species' caterpillars.

I noticed I mis-typed something (I'd like to think my brain was outpacing-- I know Philos aren't the most popular aroid on the forum. I guess they're covered more in Houseplants. There are always great new things to learn & new plants to learn about here when I come check it out, though.
Good luck with your Arisaemas, and your konjac! I have a hard-luck story with konjac. A really nice guy sent me 3 of them. They were growing beautifully--- I loved the foliage for itself, even if flowers were a few years off. Odd thing is, the pot disappeared from my back yard. I live out in the sticks in a low-crime area. I never had anything stolen before or since. The pot was in a very out-of-the way place, and there were much showier plants that were in more prominent spots. I can't imagine anyone in my neighborhood having a clue about what it was (There are some who are very knowledgeable about hardy perennials & such, but not exotic plants), walking past Rexes and blooming orchids to get it. I mentioned the loss in Houseplants, and one person suggested it might be an inside job-- somebody in the family smashed it & hid the evidence. Not a bad thought, but I asked, and no one confessed. I think I can trust them, because they've all told me when they accidentally damaged plants before (sady, damage happens all too often-- partly my own fault, because the plants are a wee bit in the way of daily family life sometimes...) It wouldn't be a weird story if I lived in a city, but out here, it's really odd!

Hi Susan,

I've been meaning to take your "girls only" poll since you first came up with it, but I've been pretty busy since then, trying to get all my tropicals dug up and repotted and stored in the greenhouse and cellar for winter. But since it's a very windy and rainy day today, and I got ALL 57 bananas stored in the cellar today, I thought I'd take the time to answer your poll...

How did your interest develop - suddenly or over a long period of time, or was it forced on you so that you eventually became the addict's codependent? I've always loved big elephant ears, since I was a child, but had no idea what an "aroid" was until maybe five years ago when I discovered GW. So I'd say my addiction grew over a long period of time.

What is your favorite group of araceae? Philos? Colocasias? Amorphs? Callas? Break it on down, ladies. My best loved are Xanthosomas, followed by Colocasia, Alocasias, Amorphophallus, and Philos. It's hard to choose because I've yet to find one I don't like.

If you had to choose between a man and an aroid, which would it be? And, if an aroid, which aroid would tip the scale in its favor? Definitely choose a man. They are way more fun to cuddle up with! Besides, it's DH's paycheck that pays for my addiction!

What is your favorite place to buy aroids? Ebay? Local nurseries? Online nurseries? Overseas nurseries? Trades with other aroidiacs? I love eBay and have found some fantastic plants there that I've never seen any other place. I also love trading with other Aroid lovers. Some of my best plants came from trades.

Do you grow your aroids in the ground or in pots and then have to heft them indoors for the wiinter; and.... whichever place you grow them, which do you prefer? I would prefer to grow them in the ground but the vast majority of mine go into the greenhouse for the winter. I leave the hardy ones outside. A. Titanum comes inside the house for winter because I killed its siblings last winter in my too cool greenhouse.

If you had a choice of anywhere else to live which would be more conducive to aroid culture, where would it be? Hawaii

What aroids are you currently growing? Alocasias, Colocasias, Xanthosomas, Philodendrons, Syngoniums, Nephthytis, Monsteras, Sauromatums, Dracunculus, Amorphophallus, ZZ Plants, Western Skunk Cabbages, Arum Italicums, Jack in the Pulpits, Calla lilies, probably others I can't think of right now.

What aroids are on your list of "must haves", but haven't been able to get yet? Cyrtosperma Johnstonii, variegated Monstera, Philodendron 'Pink Princess', Alocasia 'Portei' and Amorphophallus henryi.

What aroids are on your sorta, kinda, maybe, might wanna have it, but aren't really sure? Possibly Amorphophallus paeonifolius..

Which aroids would you NOT recommend to anyone, and state your reason. I like them all and would recommend them to any plant lover not familiar with aroids.

AND (DRUMROLL), if you had a huge wad of money to tip your favorite Chippendale - no, no, no, I'm getting way off the subject here - to buy a really rare, expensive, aroid, what would it be? It wouldn't be an aroid, it would probably be an AeAe Banana. :)

YEEEEEE! I'm going to get an A. 'Gordon's Gold' (I think that's the name!). I am very excited.

I think I can winter paeonifolius outside in my backyard, Wolflover because it is so protected. And for that I would be willing to make the little chicken wire cylinder/filled with leaves to shelter it during winter.

Trading is marvelous isn't it? I just don't have a lot to trade yet. I am giving someone a pup off my A. macrorhiza, though, because I got a few off of it this year.

Did you get 'Thai Giant' yet?

I love these polls because we get to know each other and what we like, so keeping this particular thread is a good idea. If I get something someone else really wants, we can work out a trade for something I don't have, which is why the poll. Also, help each other out with problem issues.

On the man versus plant issue, since I don't have a DH or a DSO (darling significant other), it is my paycheck to do with as I choose. But, in the past, it was my paycheck that saved our skins, and I decided not to save anyone else's skin agin!

How big is your Titanum tuber? konjac tuber?

Maybe we should have a list somewhere of reputable Ebay sources. I am just so reluctant, and somewhat intimidated, to buy on Ebay. If I knew which sources were good ones, I'd be more willing to do so.

Susan

LMAO, Susan!: "But, in the past, it was my paycheck that saved our skins, and I decided not to save anyone else's skin agin!" DITTO, my dear, DITTO!

GH