Eric, Everyone always told me I couldn't grow them so don't bother. I listened for years. Then a few years ago I won one at a raffle. It did great. Now I have quite a few and am always looking for quality plants. Even have about a dozen seedlings growing of one cross that has promise. And, I checked and the Veitchiana spike did not blast. I can go out into the greenhouse any time of year and find at least one or two in spike.