Latitude really helps figuring out the intensity of the sun, but weather patterns area heavy influence. I'm about the same latitude as Southern IL/St Louis, MO. Totally different weather pattern. We rarely have a cloudy day here and zero rain in summer, with low humidity, cool nights. Winters don't match either. I know it sure isn't like that in St. Louis.

I've been to Mobile and to Shanghai and even for the short times I was there, I can tell you that the sun light conditions might be the same but that is about where the similarity ends.

I just took a very quick look at the .pdf at the HL and read that the early seeds sent to Europe came from Macau, which is a small island close to to Hong Kong. We've spent some time in Hong Kong and I never noticed many hostas there, but wasn't specifically looking for them in the the early 90's. ;-)

Google Maps should have what I think you are looking for.

-Babka

i am so exciting you guys are simply thinking about it all ...

know why britain.. which is about 60 degrees north.. can be as high as z9???

its called the north atlantic drift.. the water goes from MA up past newfoundland.. across the north atlantic ... making that basically tiny island.. very warm ... very temperate ...

there is.. most likely.. the same type of ocean currents.. both air and water.. that makes a very big difference as compared to you ... the gulf aint quite the pacific ....

but that is as far as i would speculate ...

fascinating reading.. isnt it..

one of the first over here.. was claimed to have been purloined from a temple.. so maybe that is why you didnt see them generally around..

ken

Moccasin, I have been to Shanghai a couple of times and to LA several times. Shanghai is cooler than Louisiana. Ken is right. For instance London is on the same latitude as Newfoundland and the climate is very different because of the Gulf Stream Currents.