One of the hardest things to grow from seed – Veratrum – I can’t actually remember how long it took but I think it was around 18 months.  Most of that was spent in the fridge.  I remember I took them out when they were literally begging for it.  Mum cosseted them for another three years before we dared plant them outNow two decades later we still have three plants growing happily in the gully.  I’ve only ever twice seen them in the wild.  Once hugh up in a valley in Colorado when visiting my sister and again last year in Andalucia.  Both times there were only one or two strong plants,  I was thrilled to bits.

Croatia on the other hand has everything by the bucket load and it appears that Veratrums are no exception.  They’re often found with woodland Anemones and Violets.  These ones were phoot graphed at Plitvice Lakes where we also saw them just emerging from the snow on a siding where the snow was still sitting along with sheets of purple Corydalis solida.