HABITAT: Southeastern Europe and Southeastern Asia. Zones 8-10.

USES: Perennial border, rock garden, cut flower, indoor forcing.

HABIT: Double camellia-like flowers 3-4 inches across bloom in late spring outdoors on 12-18 inch plants. May be forced into bloom indoors with cool temperatures.

SEED GERMINATION: Sow seeds indoors and cover lightly in late winter, 8-10 weeks before the last spring frost. Maintain a night temperature around 55°-60°F. for 15-20 days for germination. Transplant to 2 1/4 inch pots when 4 leaves develop and plant outdoors about 6 weeks later. Seeds can also be planted outdoors in early spring or late fall while temperatures are cool. Allow 5-6 months for plants to reach flowering size from seeds.

CULTURE: In zones 8-10, plant in fall; in northern zones, plant in spring. Soak the claw-like tubers in warm water for 3-4 hours and then plant them 1 1/2 inches deep and 6 inches apart with the claws pointing downward. They perform best in full sun with a rich but very well drained soil. Add extra leaf mold, compost, or peatmoss along with coarse sand to loosen heavy soils. In colder areas, dig the tubers in the fall and store them in dry peatmoss or potting soil at 55°-60°F.

INDOOR CULTURE: Soak the tubers for 3-4 hours before planting. Use a packaged potting soil like Park's Grow Mix with an equal amount of coarse sand to provide good drainage. Plant the tubers 1 1/2 inches deep and 2 inches apart, water well, and place them in a cool area with a night temperature of 50°-55°F. and a day temperature of 60°-65°F. Water sparingly until active growth begins and also provide at least 4-5 hours of full sun. Feed with a 15-30-15 liquid fertilizer mixed according to label directions. Flowering begins in about 4 months. As the plants go dormant in early summer, allow the soil to dry and store the tubers in their pots in a cool basement or garage at 55°-60°F.

INSECTS: Aphids: Control with Malathion or Sevin.

DISEASES: Root Rot: Drench soil with Benlate or Captan once a week for 2-3 weeks.

PROPAGATION: Seeds, division (late summer)