Re: CULT:SPEC:HIST: foliage in winter

From: Linda Mann <lmann@icx.net>

Anner wrote:
> Sort of hard to think of "trojana" being hardier than
> "pallida" by any definition, though.

And Jeff said:
> Observing how CONQUISTADOR (Mohr, '23) has been the only cultivar in a
> newly planted bed of historic TBs that has maintained its foliage in a
> green and undamaged state this far into the winter, I wonder if we might
> not look to its tetraploid parent, I. mesopotamica, for an answer to your
> question.

So, here we have two tetraploid supposedly 'tender' species with more
freeze tolerant foliage than pallida or variegata diploids??  Or is
CONQUISTADOR's other half pallida/variegata & therefore it's the
wonderful mix of the two?  

I'm starting to wonder if 'tender' means they don't like rain in the
summer. :)  

An additional hypothesis: maybe the diploid/tetraploid mix can result in
one of several potential variations, depending on what genetic pairs get
together: 1) mature foliage that is freeze sensitive and evergreen
growth with continuous production of freeze sensitive foliage [the worst
of both worlds], 2) mature foliage that is freeze tolerant and shuts
down growth in cold weather, or 3) mature foliage that is both freeze
tolerant and continues growth.  

Then there are those silly Mediterranean genes that forget to keep
producing weatherproofing when it's dry in the summer & promptly rot
after the first downpour.

Linda Mann east Tennessee USA


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