I planted an un-bloomed 'royal heritage' plant last summer. It bloomed this spring as a nice, outfacing flower of the typical dark maroon color. I cut off the flower stalk in late june, as it was growing new leaves, and it seemed to settle in for the season. But...

I noticed on Monday that it was sending up a new flower stalk, and the buds, which are already starting to unfurl, on this stalk are a gorgeous very pale pink color. They are totally unlike the spring buds. I have my camera ready when they fully open, and perhaps then I can post pics of both colors, because I could hardly believe the diferences.

Is this likely a freakish seasional thing, or a mutation, or possibly another plant which had come along for the ride in the one I bought? Also, what would make it bloom in this time of year?

George

Young plants quite often throw a flower stem in mid to late summer, often not at all like the true plant, usually (although I have not aggressively tried to hand pollinate) barren in that no seed is set suggesting that the flower is incomplete in more than just colour, I've not recorded when and where but my recollections are of single stems with 1-3 flowers usually quite pale.

I do not know the reasons why any of this happens, but you sometimes also see it after a transplant and I would guess the plants chemistry gets a little thrown.

They've always reverted back to normal afterwards.

Your theory that you have 2 plants together is also possible, but difficult to verify without digging it/them up and pulling them apart..better left until spring to see whether you revert to what you expected.

Cheers Greenmanplants.

johan

Thanks again.

George