"Tetraploid"
Have you ever heard of a plant described as a tetrapoid? This means it is an organism with twice the number of normal genes. Tetraploid plants can be more vigorous, with larger blooms. They can be created by using colchicine, a derivative of the autumn crocus, to double the chromosomes, or can occur spontaneously. Commercial daylilies are often tetraploids (44 instead of 22 chromosomes).
Happy gardening!
Colchicine... Is this something available to your average home gardener? Have you ever used it?
ReplyDeleteBeautiful blossom.