On Apr 25, 1:46*pm, "David E. Ross" wrote:
I have an informal hedge of 'George Taber' azaleas in front of my
camellias. *The azaleas are blooming right now. *A close-up photo of a
flower is at http://www.rossde.com/garden/GeoTaber.jpg.

One of the plants has a branch with flowers that are all dark pink (a
color sport), resembling 'Formosa'. *(A photo of a 'Formosa' bush in
bloom is at http://www.rossde.com/garden/Formosa_azalea.jpg.) *The
other flowers on this same plant are definitely 'George Taber'.

Has anyone else seen such a strange color sport?

--
David E. Ross
Climate: *California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary

Hi David
Yes I have such an azalea. It was here when we moved in, and I don't
know the
name of it. It does look very much like 'George Taber'. (so I am going
with that
as a name) It is rather large robust plant, 4 ft and I keep it pruned
to that size.
It is also very good at rooting its bottom branches and producing new
plants.

So Yes, it has had solid darkish pink/magenta flowers produced on a
branch,
as yours has done.
But it also has produced branches that have blooms that are bi-
colored. They
look as if someone took a ruler and drew a line right down the middle
of each
bloom. One side of the flower is the solid dark pink and the other
side of the
"line" is a pure white. This occurs every few years, not every year.
I would say that "George" is a product of a cross between a pink plant
and a
white one, and every so often the genes "separate" into the two parent
plants.
(no photos, sorry)

Emilie
NorCal