I got a small pot of this species last year - they started growing a few weeks back. I had been starting to worry that I had some how managed to kill them (I didn't know when I could expect new growth, but got mine in bloom last March, so I was getting nervous when there was nothing still as we entered February) - but, there are spikes growing now! I agree - they're quite carefree!
These grow in my garden right up against the back of the house here in zone 6a. The only thing about them is that they always come up so early that they shred themselves in the straw, or a frost comes and ruins the blooms. One year, they managed to get a couple seedpods going, however!