On 4/13/2017 2:13 PM, John McGaw wrote:
On 4/13/2017 3:06 PM, David E. Ross wrote:
On 4/13/2017 11:36 AM, John McGaw wrote:
On a hike across the northern counties of England a while back I was
enchanted by the sometimes-vast swathes of bluebells. I managed to get 100
real Hyacinthoides non-scripta bulbs and planted them in various places
hoping to find somewhere that they would succeed in my climate (Tennessee)
which is eminently not suitable for them. In places in dead shade they seem
to be prospering but in what should be light shade under deciduous trees
they don't do well since they come up well before the trees leaf out.

Last week I noticed that one plant in the non-favored location was showing
white flowers while all the others which were in bloom were the normal
shade. Do I have some sort of exotic sport with white blooms or is this
something that happens often? I failed to mark the odd plant but if it does
the same next year and if it seems worthwhile I'll try to move it to a
better location where it might multiply.


Sunset's "Western Garden Book" mentions an 'Alba' variety of
white-flowering H. non-scripta and also a 'Rosea' variety with pink
flowers.


Dunno. All of them have been the normal blue shade for six years now. Or at
least I never saw a white one until this Spring and it is unlikely that it
would have been missed since it is beside the long drive down to the road
where the mailbox is and I walk by there all the time. Guess I'll just wait
and keep an eye out next year and see if anything odd shows up again and
I'll either mark or move the freak. Thanks for the input.


It is possible that the bulbs you planted were hybrids and that some
went to seed after blooming. If that happened, it could explain the
presence of a white flower since hybrids often create even newer
varieties when they go to seed. After all, that is how the 'Alba' and
'Rosea' varieties were developed.

--
David E. Ross
http://www.rossde.com

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