Re: Zantedeschia seeds?
- To: Jason D
- Subject: Re: Zantedeschia seeds?
- From: S* A* O*
- Date: Wed, 24 Jan 2001 14:01:52 -0800
At 10:52 AM 1/24/01 -0800, Jason D wrote:
>I believe Z. 'Hercules' is a Luther Burbank
>introduction, if my memory from the museum-garden in
>Santa Rosa is correct.
Jason -
I'm not sure if this is true. I know there is a very dwarf variety of
Zantedeschia aethiopica that is attributed to Burbank (a noted and
controversial plant breeder in the late 1800s and early 1990s). It is
controversial, as many of his plants are, some folk believing that he
didn't actually 'breed' it, but that it is a natural form. He also worked
with colored calla species, producing dwarfs there as well. Sometimes it
is hard to get really accurate information about this man's work. I do
know that he grew literally thousands of plants from his crosses and
selections in his test plots, routinely discarding hundreds of them except
for those very few he thought had promise.
The story I have about this plant I will relay via a very old AROID-L
e-mail from my archives:
From: "Sean O'Hara" <SAOUC@uccmvsa.ucop.edu>
Subject: KK's mystery Zantedeschia (Z. 'Hercules')
Sender: aroid-l@mobot.org
Date: Fri, 11 Jul 1997 20:09:44 -0500
I did some detective work through some folks I know at Strybing
Arboretum, and the records show that this plant originated from
Western Hills Nursery in Occidental (60 mi. north of San Francisco
in very beautiful country!). I'm trying to locate more information
about where they got the plant, but for now, this is what I know:
- it is called merely Z. 'Hercules' (but certainly has Z.
aethiopica as a parent if it is a hybrid).
- It can grow up to 7ft tall, with huge 2-3ft leaves which are
like Z. aethiopica but spotted like some other species.
- Small plants can grow rather fast, based upon a small bulbil
division I currently have in my possession (from a friend's
plant)
This plant seems to have come to Western Hills Nursery in the past,
from a local gardener in Occidental. This plant is also routinely
sold by a water plant nursery in this area. No other information
about where the plant came to these folks from is available.
Western Hills Nursery is a veritible icon among the rare plant
people here in the Bay Area, originally started many years ago by
Marshall Olbrich and Lester Hawkins. It is now run by Maggie
Wych (who worked alonside Marshall for many years). The phone
number is (707)874-3731, address: 16250 Coleman Valley Road,
Occidental, Calif. 95465 (actually 1 mile west of the town center
of Occidental). If you enjoy seeing plants you've never seen
before, it is certainly worth the trip up. They also have a decent
display garden which includes many of the plants grown at the
nursery (I understand there is a Z. 'Hercules' at the main gate of
the nursery right now).
h o r t u l u s a p t u s - 'a garden suited to its purpose'
Sean A. O'Hara fax (707) 667-1173 sean.ohara@groupmail.com
710 Jean Street, Oakland, CA 94610-1459, U.S.A.
