I started these from seed, and they're now on their third generation of leaf propagation (I haven't kept any of the first or second generation plants). I tend to grow a few hundred violets at a time and then give them away to my friends and neighbors (these trays were cached out at the end of a party at my house this weekend), and make a bunch of leaf props before giving away my mature plants.
Anyway, all of my fantasy mutants are beginning to sector into fantasy and non-fantasy flowers, which I assume means that this trait is a) genomically unstable and b) the plant is now chimeric as a result of mutation. If so, it would explain why these are difficult to buy- you can't mass scale props from them the way you can a typical variety.
by Berberis
5 Comments
If a violet has chimeric dna, you’ll need to create new plants with suckers/bloom stalks rather than from leaf propagation if you would like it to bloom true
I think the fantasy coloring is caused by jumping genes. I’ve heard of them, but haven’t taken the time to research them yet. So you can end up with plants flowering with just the color of the fantasy, just the color of the non-fantasy, and plants with fantasy flowers and non-fantasy flowers. Jumping genes are unpredictable. I don’t think it is a chimera thing, but just weird genes doing their weirdness to confuse us.
They are awesome!!!!
Nothing to add as an AV noob. Just here to say you are such a nice plant human! Growing out full (many!!) plants explicitly for spreading planty vibes to those around you is really lovely 🥰
Just to add to your point about how difficult it is to mass produce true plants, many growers don’t worry about it. Some one recently posted about Rob’s Argyle Socks props being blue, so Rob’s Blue Socks. I’ve seen growers advertising Argyle, but all their pictures show blue flowers. They don’t care. A few small growers do say that they don’t sell a plant till it has flowered true for them. Of course, their plants cost a bit more, for very good reason.
Same thing with variegated plants, cannas especially. The grower doesn’t rouge out the off type plants and just sells them as true. You buy a canna bulb and what comes up isn’t what you thought you bought. I no longer buy some bulbs cause I never know if they will be true or not. Well, unless it is a small time grower who does the job correctly.