[aroid-l] Tuber pricing questions

From: "Rosalind" <rozgold at pacbell.net> on 2004.02.17 at 05:59:43(11151) Hi folks! I was looking through the bulb catalog of a company called "Van Bourgondien," and noticed two aroid listings with what seemed to be fairly high prices - I called the company to confirm that the price in each case was for a tuber, and not for a plant. The two listings are: Arisaema candidissimun - "Cobra Lily" - 1 tuber for $49.95 - the catalog says the bulb is a "#1 bulb". http://www.dutchbulbs.com/spring/z32880.76824.html +More Alocasia macrorrhiza "Variegata" - Tuber is 7" - 11" in diameter - 1 tuber for $24.95. http://www.dutchbulbs.com/spring/z32880.71862.html Here's my questions: 1) Are these prices at all reasonable? Are the plants that rare or difficult to obtain to justify the prices? 2) Assuming the prices are somewhat reasonable, how hard are these plants to grow from tubers? - I would hate to risk that amount of money on something that was extremely difficult to grow. Finally, on a slightly different topic, I'm seeing lots of great looking calla lilies that are being offered by various catalogs. If I get a bulb that's about 2" and grow a plant from it, approximately how many blooms will I get in one season? I'm just trying to figure out if one bulb really means only one or two blooms - my apologies for how basic of a question this is - I seem to have lent out all of my gardening books to friends lately. Thanks! -Roz, in Southern California

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