Re: Seed Pods & Flower Scapes

Lesch, Norman A. wrote:
> 
> Barbara,
> 
> Here's a partial answer. These hostas have been known to produce
> branched scapes:
> 
> H. 'Breathless'
> H. 'Blue Diamond'
> H. 'Grand Forks'
> H. 'Gray Cole' (sometimes)
> H. kikutii var. polyneuron
> H. tibae
> 
> Can anyone add any more?
> 
> As far as sterility goes, if someone says a hosta is sterile, it only
> means they couldn't get viable seed from it. George Schmid lists
> H. 'Banana Sundae' as sterile in The Genus Hosta and its registration
> says it is sterile as well, but this "sterile" hosta has given us the
> seeds for H. 'Cascades', H. 'Robert Frost', and H. 'Shadow Waltz."
> All hostas should be this sterile! The sterile H. undulata that is in
> everyone's garden set seed at least once and thanks to Tony Avent,
> the result was H. 'Out House Delight' a very fertile plant that produces
> plants like H. 'White Wall Tires'.  I think certain pollen parents make
> better partners and you should still try to set seeds on the ones that
> rarely set seed or are listed as sterile. I wouldn't go crazy spending a
> lot of time on these, but these are the crosses that are potentially the
> most interesting since nature by herself may not be able to do it. Some
> hostas do not set seed well until they are very mature. These may also
> be listed as sterile but they really are not. Keep trying. As far as seed
> pods and viable seed, you don't really know until you go to plant them.
> I've gotten pods on known fertile plants only to find that the seeds didn't
> develop. I'm not sure if if had to do with the pollen parent or
> environmental conditions. Timing is important as well as location. I've
> had better luck setting seeds on plants that received morning sun. I'm
> still experimenting with the best time to apply the pollen, but harvesting
> it in early morning before the bees rub it all off and waiting until noon
> to pollenate seems to give me decent results.
> 
> I'm sure we'd all like to hear some other thoughts on this.
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> Norm Lesch
> Manchester, MD
> 
>  ----------
> From: Barbara & Morris
> To: hosta-open@mallorn.com
> Subject: Seed Pods & Flower Scapes
> Date: Tuesday, July 21, 1998 8:34AM
> 
> Does the color of the seed pods give any indication of what the resulting
> seedlings may look like?
> It is the first time that I have noticed branching on the flower scapes of
> one hosta.  Is this common?  Which hostas produce branching flower scapes?
> If a plant is said to be sterile, does this mean it fails to set seed pods,
> or
> will set pods without any viable seeds?
> New at this seed stuff, so any and all information will be
> helpful....Thanks.
> Barbara
> 
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> message text UNSUBSCRIBE HOSTA-OPENI have a beautiful "streaked" pod on White Christmas.  So you never know.
Ran Lydell
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