I have some seedlings with red cotyledons
I am sorry that I cannot remember for sure how often I have observed this. I think that it has been rare but non zero. I could not find any specific discussions of this in the literature (not a thorough search). The following suggests that there may be a deficiency of an essential element or of the ability to process an essential element:
Joan,
I have two seedlings right now that are red (cotyledons and all). One is from ‘Cherry Meidiland’ X ‘William Lobb’, the other is from (‘Fragrant Cloud’ x Rosa carolina) X ‘Carefree Sunshine’. I have quite a few others with red/purple-tinted cotyledons, but not fully red.
On another note, I got my first rose bloom of the season yesterday – on Rugosa X xanthina. It’s getting larger every year. Is yours still alive? Also, I’ve noticed a few flower buds on Rosa laevigata (which I wintered in the ground, here in Maryland!!!). So, it looks like I’ll get to play around with this rose species that has frustrated so many hybridizers. Actually, I used to have a monstrous R. laevigata that I kept in a pot. And I got one hybrid from it before I neglected it to death. The hybrid was either from pollen of R. multiflora or R. helenae.
I haven’t observed red cotyledons on rose seedlings, but this spring I was germinating some hybrid cuphea seed, and several seedlings were bright red – I aksed one of my professors about it, and he was it was nothing unusual, that plants under stress often produce large amounts of anthocyanin. In this case, however, to get germination I had to excise the embryos, so the seedlings had been put under a lot more stress than usual due to my clumsy use of the scaple. So that may or may not apply in this case, but thought I would throw it in.
Joseph Tychonievich
Thank you everyone. I was hoping red cotyledons were a sign of rubrifolia blood. I do see a distinct difference in the leaf colors of the seedlings as they grow, so perhaps I’m getting some of the color I wanted after all.
Joan