Loss of Color / Mutations
- To: Iris List-Server <i*@Rt66.com>
- Subject: Loss of Color / Mutations
- From: S* M* <7*@CompuServe.COM>
- Date: 01 May 96 15:36:18 EDT
Weather can also affect the intensity of color. I've noticed that a cool, but
sunny, period when buds are developing produces more intense colors than usual
while a warm, but cloudy spell produces paler colors. And that's just the
bud-formation stage -- once the flowers open, the more sun they get the more
they fade. In other words, there's no easy answer. Soil, climate, and weather
all contribute to color variations in an individual cultivar.
As for mutations -- I agree with Clarence. They do occur but they are extremely
rare. I've been growing iris for over 40 years (OUCH! that's hard to admit!)
and, in addition to all of the different named varieties I've grown over the
years, have produced over 10,000 seedlings. I've had only ONE mutation, but it
was a striking one. When it proved stable, I introduced it as STUDY IN
AMETHYST.
Sharon McAllister (73372.1745@compuserve.com)
Southern New Mexico
