Thanks for sharing your Apios experiences, Bob! I've tried growing Apios
americana for years in CO, with no success. Too much UV and too dry, not
the right rich floodplain soil they seem to prefer too. Eric Toensmeier is
now growing Apios in tubs/large containers due to their far spreading
nature. However, he is on a small urban lot. People with more land could
afford to let them run.
On Stachys affinis...I've been growing them for years and it is a winner
for me in Colorado. They grow easily. I let mine flower because the mint
family is great for pollinators. I still get a good harvest of good sized
tubers. They are drought hardy too. The only annual maintenance required is
harvesting. Since they are so productive they will crowd themselves out
leaving very small roots. The perennial three sisters of j-chokes, crosnes
(S. affinis), and apios is still somewhat ill-fitted however. Apios is
better as a harvest once every two years plant, whereas the others need to
be harvested each year.
My two cents,
Jason
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