Re: Eccremocarpus

Tim wrote:

>A question perhaps for Dave in particular and for Brits in general:
>
>A friend recently gave me a cutting (flourishing but not yet flowered)
>of what she called Eccre. 'Tresco Cream.' Nothing of that name/colour
>in The Plant Finder. Dave's mention of colour variants reminded me of
>this little mystery, hence the question: anyone know if this cream
>variation is 'real'? I'd be delighted if it were and particularly if
>it were HERE, since the usual forms don't show well agains the red
>sandstone walls of this garden.

Most of these newer variants seem to have originated from Suttons
seed.  They brought out a highly unreliable strain of colour
variations quite a few years ago and you were lucky to see anything
other than the occasional lavender mauve form out of several packets.
I understand some of these were planted out at Tresco and more
reliable variations have more or less self selected naturally.  The
orange yellow form has been well known and established for at least 30
years, but is probably much older than that.  I don't know anything of
its origin.  I've always called it E. scaber 'Aurea'.  It comes true
if grown in isolation, but crossed back with the type proper, you only
get 'normal' flowers indicating that this colour is recessive.
Subsequent generations do show orange yellow forms, but I've not found
any 'half-way' colours after making several crosses.  Maybe I should
try crossing with other 'recessive' colours, but I've not had the time
and space to experiment any further in recent years.

I'm currently growing plants from 2 forms of 'Tresco Pink' which Dave
Fenwick kindly gave me a month or so ago.  The 'standard' form has the
normal rather straggly growth which I've got well disguised in an
unproductive grape vine.  It flowers quite well and although you could
not describe them as show stoppers, they make nice, subtle little
splashes of soft pink edge with yellow, here and there.  Another is
almost identical in flower, but has much better, more compact
(comparatively) growth.  As far as the cream is concerned, I've seen
it once and must admit that it would have to be far more prolific with
its flowers for me to want to plant it.  But then we are talking about
personal tastes here.

Dave Poole
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