Renaissance Blue

[stplong]

Charlie,

Just wondering if this year you are going to be offering Renaissance Blue or the color purple varieties.

Thanks, Patrick

[Charlie]

Hi Patrick,

Both those varieties are worth growing, Renaissance Blue being a very good bloomer. I grew a lot of them once upon a time but since RB does best grafted the supply has been a lot smaller in recent years. I can't recall if there are a few in the pipeline now or not, but Cindy tells me if we have any they will be sold from the waiting list and not make it into the online store. So, if you want, that link is http://www.hiddenvalleyhibiscus.com/pages/waitinglist.htm

Charlie

[Darkhorse]

I waitlisted Ren. Blue awhile back and still would be very interested in having it.  I have some great ideas for crosses, especially if RB is a seed-setter.  I also have a Voodoo Magic plant and love it, so if the bush is similar to VM it would definitely be worth having.


cross ideas so far:

Ren. Blue x Blue Ballerina
Ren. Blue x Creme de la Creme (if either sets seed, not sure)
Ren. Blue x Black Dragon
Ren. Blue x Saffron

[jpiper82]

Darkhorse would you please post a few pics of your VM?
Thanks alot, John

[Charlie]

Jordan, this is a good demonstration of how it can be hard to get the genes you want together. Renaissance Blue is a very reluctant seed setter, in fact I would say does not set seeds except one guy told me he got seeds from it once in his basement with the mildest of conditions. When this is the case you can try and try and perhaps sometime get the cross you want to work, but the other way is to use an intermediary that crosses with both the ones you hoped to cross, and then cross those offspring with each other.

Of the crosses you list above, only Blue Ballerina and Saffron are reliable seed setters in the bunch. Makes it a challenge, eh!

Charlie

[Darkhorse]

Yes, that would definitely make it a challenge... for some reason I had in my head that BD would set seed.  Maybe because my BD has been developing false seed pods which I've seen a couple of my other cvs do.  Not sure why but the plants will hold onto the ovary and sepals (I think that's right) and the ovary will enlarge for a few weeks, then turn brown and crack open with nothing inside.  I was excited the first time I saw one do this but have since learned there will be no seeds inside.


Anyway, that was a bit of a tangent but I wonder if seed setting can be something selected for in hybridizing.  In that you cross two known seed setters and keep incooperating seed-setters into the gene pool of offspring, you end up with more reliable seed-setters in each supsequent generation.  A fun experiment maybe.  Have you noticed any trends like that Charlie?



John, here are a couple pictures of VM's bush this morning, and flower photos from last year.  All three specimens of VM I've had have been well-branched, good growers, and produce lots of buds.  One of my favorite browns.

[Darkhorse]

OMG I missed Ren. Blue!!!!!   

[helixturnhelix]

Jordan, I had it, checked out and then got an e-mail later from Cindy saying my order missed the last one by 2min... Talk about depressing   Back on the waitlist I go. 

[Cindy]

Chris, I didn't have you on the waiting list for it or I would have emailed you. Make sure you guys get on the waiting list for anything you want. It might take me a while, but I usually manage to get everyone what they're looking for if Charlie grows it at all. If I have time I try to check the Wish List thread some here (Jordan maybe?) a while back to see what you have on there, but I didn't even have time for that today. Crazy day getting a newsletter out and the website updated all at once.

Cindy

[Darkhorse]

That's ok Cindy, more for me to look forward to!

[helixturnhelix]

No problem Cindy,  maybe I thought I did and wasn't actually on there.  There is always next time or that new CV that hasn't even bloomed yet