Most of the paintbrushes (Castilleja) are semi-parasitic to certain prairie grasses. I have no luck getting them to sprout or even transplant but I have seen other people do it. I've had no problem getting Salvia lyrata to sprout but it takes a few years to get blossoms (but I grow it for the leaves anyway). I'm used to Ironweeds (Vernonia) in dry prairies but they might grow in a damp environment next to a streambed. I grow mine in the dryest part of the yard - mostly to keep them small. In good soil they get too tall to see the flowers. Everybody else on the list needs some winter to sprout and most will take a year or more to get to blooming size.

Hi! My name is Karen and I've posted some questions on the geranium forum and got some good advice, but noone is terribly chatty over there so I was wondering if this is a good forum for me to join. Are you taking new members?? I'm in IL and we started over 700 (agh!)pelargoniums, or whatever they are called. We call them geraniums. Anyway, I was told to pinch and went to town and I hope I did it right because I have some sad plants. And it's about time to start hardening off...and I haven't a clue what I'm doing! We have two portable greenhouses outside with heaters in them and we put the impatiens and pansies, I think, in there. But the geraniums are inside under grow lights and in sunny windows (as sunny as it gets during the long awaited IL 'Spring' if that's what you call it!) Can anyone help me keep them alive?

I realize that your posting is old (August 5), but I have a surplus of lily of the nile to trade. These are starts/bulbs/plantlets, 10 per trade. these are original African Lily like those that grow along the River Nile, not the newer hybrids. Blooms are mixed shade of blue and some white, but none are marked. If you are interested, I am able to trade this week. Thanks, MaryAnn

It sounds as though martagons would do well there.