RE: datura-- cuttings?

Interesting Don!

I got my Missouri marble this spring from a local nursery. He always
tries new plants in his display garden before actually selling them. (
Nice feature IMHO) I of course have no idea where he actually got the
plants from, but had a couple trays of them. He gave me one to try and
report back how it did. I love it!

Your reference to taking a cutting--- I would *really* like to know more
about that!.... since I am unsure if the nursery will continue to carry
this plant since his did not perform as well as mine did... I would hate
to loose this plant or a source for one. I will mark the spot that some
of the seeds are and see if they return or not. Seems the seed pods are
green and lush in the morning and by the time I return from work... they
have cracked open and most of the seeds are all over. Have been picking
some of them up....:) 

Not sure what type the other datura, that I refer to as native is... was
in the patch of weeds here... long before I arrived. Dark green leaves
with white flower- purple throats.

Donna
IL, Zone 5
P.S. Don-- it would not be the first time I ignored DH instructions :)

> 1.  Ignore dh.  Failing that:
> 2.  If you are able, check pods every few days.  When ripe, the pods
> will almost crumble in your hands.  Even if not totally ripe, you can
> usually pick the pod, dry it, and the seeds will still mature and be
> OK>
> 3.  Actually, while the plants are not hardy, unless the roots are
> protected from frost, the seeds should easily survive the winter.  I
> live in Wisconsin, and even when we used to regularly have -20F
> winters, the seeds of both Datura meteloides (of which I believe,
> Missouri Marble is a variegated cultivar), and Datura stramonium,
> which I'm guessing is the "native" datura to which you refer,
> routinely return from seed every spring, although not until the
> weather has warmed sufficiently.  Still, collecting some seed is a
> good idea.
> 
> Regarding the chances of obtaining variegated seedlings:  The source
> from whom I obtained my cuttings says that the variegation does not
> come true from seed.  One the other hand, I have heard that if the
> variegation on a plant shows up on the fruit or pod, the chances are
> good of having the variegation come true from seed.  I plan on trying
> this out on my own variegated MM pod.   However, I'll also take
> cuttings to be on the safe side.
> 
> One note of caution here.  Often the variegation on a plant does not
> show up immediately in the seedling stage.  I have a variegated
> horseradish (Amoracea rusticanum), that is already in it's second
> year and is just beginning to show variegation.  Also, not all
> offspring may show variegation, so make sure to have several plants
> raised from seed.
> 
> I believe that Jim Waddick, in Kansas City, is the originator of MM.
> I don't know if he is on this list (never seen a post).
> 
> In any case, good luck and share your results next year.
> --
> Don Martinson
> Milwaukee, Wisconsin
> l*@wi.rr.com

---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE PERENNIALS
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index