"Bertie Doe" wrote in message
...

"Rusty_Hinge" wrote in message

from "Bertie Doe" contains these words:

Proper name : omphalodes cappadocica, a perennial, developed in
Holland from
forget-me-nots. Some uk seed merchants sell it in plugs, at great
expense.
Anyone know why it's not available in seed form?
http://preview.tinyurl.com/cltxf6

I don't know the plant, but it's possibly a F1 hybrid?


Thanks Rusty, suppose I bought a pot-grown one and I saved the seed. If SE
is an F1, does this mean it will possibly 'revert to type'?
Bertie
.

Hi Bertie, Rusty,

It's not an F1 hybrid. I see no reason why the basic Omphalodes cappadocica
(a perennial) should not come true from seed, although I can't remember ever
seeing it sold as seed. Chiltern Seeds sell seed of O. linifolium, but this
form is an annual with white flowers.

Despite Bertie's header, Omphalodes is commonly known as Navelwort. There
is a cultivar(cv): O. cappadocica 'Starry Eyes', which is where the
confusion arises. O.capp. 'SE' has blue flowers whose petals are striped
with white, giving it it's 'starry' appearance. It is unlikely that this cv
will come true from seed; it is a vegetative 'sport' which is probably
propagated vegetatively.

I have grown O. capp. but never noticed it seeding itself around. It does,
however, sprawl and *occasionally* layer itself when happy. Although I've
never tried it, it should be possible to persuade some of the sprawling
plantlets to root more freely, perhaps with the aid of a rooting hormone.
I suspect the best time to attempt this would be after flowering, when it is
diverting its energy back into root and shoot growth.

Spider