I received this email a couple weeks ago, and I thought it was interesting, and asked if I could share it.
Here is a copy of that email:
Can you confirm that the USDA hardiness zone of Petasites giganteus is actually Zone 4 as stated in the Wayside catalog?
It’s a difficult to get online info about this plant, but the few references I’ve seen suggest that it is safely plantable in one of the Zone 5s. I could probably sneak by with 5a in central Vermont (1,050 ft. elevation), but we’re officially in 4b.
Any additional insight?
And here is my response:
USDA zones 4-9 is correct for the Petasites Giganteus "Dinosaur food." Because the Wayside Gardens guarantee is based on those zones, the horticulturists who assign them rarely take risks by extending them too far. If you are in 4b, you should be fine. We actually have more of a problem with people living in places that are too hot, especially Florida.
If you have tried “Dinosaur Food” and would like to share your experiences, please leave a comment. Someone has suggested to me that the bigger plant is hardier because of its extensive root system– It seems logical to me. What do you think?
John Durst
Wayside Gardens Voice
I’d love to be able to just click on your site. Is it possible to do so without having to go into the wayside garden site.
Thank you so much for your interest.
Yes, you can add us to your Favorites or Bookmarks list using the button from your internet browser tool bar.
You can also just type “www.waysidegardensvoices.com” into your address bar at the top of the page.
I hope I have answered your question.
I have Petasites, acquired from Wayside three or four years ago, in a zone 5 garden. To ensure this doesn’t sound like an ad for Wayside, I have been disappointed by hardiness ratings — particularly on Ulmus Allee — however the Petasites is phenomenal. It is not in a protected micro-climate and gets winter’s full fury. But it did well the first year and has spread like mad, which is exactly what I wanted it to do. I’m confident it could survive another 10 to 15 degrees colder than it gets here. Give it a try. Very novel plant … if you like big, boisterous material.
I would love to try petasites next to my pond. But it doesn’t come up in my standard searches to buy. Where can I get some?
Michael – milebner@aol.cpm – Thanks