Another 2013 'Darlow's Enigma' Hulthemia Seedling

There is a very wide range of Hulthemia seedlings coming from 'Darlow's Enigma'.  One thing they have in common is floriferousness.  Here is a photo of one that I took yesterday.

'Darlow's Enigma' Hulthemia X "Basye's Thornless" Hulthemia

I am very pleased with this brand new 2014 Hulthemia from a cross between two 2013 seedlings:  ('Darlow's Enigma' X "Mixed Hulthemia Pollen") X ('Eyeconic Pomegranate Lemonade' X "Basye's Thornless"). 

First, here are the parents. 

Seed Parent:

Pollen Parent:

I took the chance on making this cross with the new seedlings last year and am very happy with the results.  It appears that this seedling is thornless.  The sister seedling behind it got all the prickles!

'Darlow's Enigma' Hulthemia

Several of the 2013 'Darlow's Enigma' X "Mixed Hulthemia Pollen" seedlings are blooming well outside.  This is one of my favorites (this one was also shown in the 4/13/14 post, fourth photo down).  I wonder what it will look like as a mature plant in 2-3 years.

Hulthemia Persica Seedlings (Part 2)

The Hulthemia persica seedlings continue to be affected by powdery mildew.  It appears that all but one are highly susceptible.  Some have died due to the infection, while most of the others seem to have had their growth stunted by the infection.

The lone seedling below appears to be resistant.  It is also the most vigorous and is just starting to put out side shoots.  The prickles (thorns) look very much like what you might find on a noxious weed.

I wonder if it will bloom next year?  I sure hope so.

Sister Seedling to 'Family Holiday'

I took this photo today, and I hesitate mentioning that it is a sister seedling to 'Family Holiday' because it appears to be much showier with regard to color.  This rose was also from the 2012 batch, but was very slow to grow because I had planted another seedling in with it when it first was transplanted out of the greenhouse (I often combine 2 or 3 seedlings into a single pot so that I do not have to use so many pots.)  Consequently, due to its small size, it was not even considered as a contender for the ARS Convention.  That other seedling was culled from the pot late last year and has allowed this seedling to thrive and show its stuff.  If it continues to do well, it might be released at a future date.

A Few 2013 Hulthemias Seen Outside

Each spring, I look forward to seeing how the surviving seedlings, from the year before, perform outside of the greenhouse.  There are always surprises.  Some seedlings do better than expected, while others really fall apart badly from weather and disease.  Here are a few that have looked good.

The first photo below is of a miniature that blooms quite a lot.  The bloom on the left is the older "faded" bloom.  I think that the color seems to improve as it ages.  The blooms hold for several days and hold that aged color without browning.  It seems to want to sort of flow, so I am wondering how it might look in a hanging basket.

The next seedling is a cross of 'Midnight Blue' X "N159-5", a Hulthemia seedling.  It is actually much more purple than the photos shows.  I suspect that when the plant fills out, it will get rather large.

The next 2 seedlings are Hulthemia crosses with 'Darlow's Enigma'.  Both appear to have early signs of having good floriferousness similar to 'Darlow's Enigma'.  My favorite so far is the second seedling below.  It has very dark foliage to contrast with the white blooms. In the last photo, there is a new shoot having 65 buds on it.  Looks like a good sign for lots of blooming power.

Introducing 'Family Holiday'

One of our new seedlings from the 2012 batch is being introduced at the American Rose Society's 2014 Spring Convention in San Diego, California.  The convention will take place from May 8th to May 12th.  

Linda Clark contacted me about donating a rose for the Convention almost two years ago.    Bill DeVor of Greenheart Farms agreed to do the propagating and growing of the rose.  There were 2 seedlings that were offered: "P144-1" and "P163-1".  Ultimately "P144-1" was chosen by Bill DeVor due to it's ease of propagation and vigorous growth.

This rose is a seedling of 'Pearl Sanford' X 'First Impression'.  It is a miniflora with petals of a creamy yellow blend and light pink edging.  For those interested in rose breeding, it makes an excellent seed parent - sets hips well and has a good germination rate.

Introducing 'Family Holiday'

Come to the Convention to get one!