I know Euphrates blooms are supposed to be a “pink blend /salmon” tone (with the central dark red blotch of course).
HOWEVER… two of the flowers (out of 6 so far) on my specimen have started off as a clear yellow, in sharp contrast to the remaining salmon colored blooms.
Is this variation normal for Euphrates, or is this sporting?
I am assuming that it is UV exposure difference and/or humidity level while opening.
Yeah…that could be what is going on Michael.
The thing that got me though was the pattern…the very first flower had four salmon colored petals with the blotch in the centre, and one odd fifth petal that was like totally some bleached “color” with the central blotch streaked out like lines/smudges instead of the usual blotch shape. That was the first flower ever, so I thought it could be explained as a plant immaturity/“teething problems” type of event.
Then I noticed these two subsequent totally yellow flowers with normal blotches…I guess looking like the persica species flowers??..almost like some process started a partial color defect in one petal of the first flower, and then subsequent whole flowers changed color like some disease process spreading but not affecting every flower, just some of 'em…LOL…it is rather odd! But then I am finding Euphrates a rather odd type of “rose” in its overal behaviour and appearance (it is my first persica hybrid experience up close and personal LOL).
BTW today I finally got to time Euphrates pollen with the first two flowers of Jude The Obscure…I am about to got to my mom’s and pollinate JTO with Euphrates pollen I have collected in this jar…I hope your suggestion “sticks” LOL!
I hope it works out too.
btw, Euphrates is half polyantha, which is a group notorious for mutations. Anything closely related to Chinas, Teas, Foetida and Multiflora have isslues with stability. However, I really could not tell you what is going on without looking at the plant myself.
LOL…I lost like 90% of the Euphrates pollen due to the winds whipping out the dried anthers out of the open jar in transit ROFL. Next time I’ll remember to put the lid on
o_O.
I think I scrounged enough pollen to sort of “do” one flower…one flower is fine for now, it’s still a plant that is establishing, too many crosses on it might induce it to drop all the hips…slowly does it I say.
Anyways, we are still in the early part of good pollinating weather down here…plenty of time to do more JTO X Euphrates this season.
Thanks again for the nice tip on this cross 