In article , Rod
writes

You're quite correct in pointing that out. In my innocence I assumed he meant C.
coum but as you and others have pointed
out if he bought from outside a greengrocer's or from yer average garden centre
it was very probably one of the
miniature F1 hybrid series of C persicum allegedly hardy but which are not hardy
except in abnormal winters like this
last one and then only in favoured areas. I do wonder what makes the growers
produce these things - it certainly isn't
money, I've seen them offered by the greengrocer for as little as 50p - how much
does the grower get out of it I wonder?

Well, they are *tiny*. The art to all these things seems to be getting
them into flower abnormally early - just as you get chrysanths and roses
which look like bushy plants covered in flowers, and which turn out to
be half a dozen barely rooted cuttings ;-)

I just hope unfortunate experiences with the imposters don't scare people away
from the real ones.

--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/garden/