This post is on the progress of my three-year-old reds. I've been waiting until the last one bloomed to post. These seedlings are blooming for the second season. I think all of them are evergreen, except for one that might possibly be semi-evergreen.
This Ultimate Sacrifice seedling appears to be the best of the bunch, and the one most likely headed toward registration. Instant rebloomer! It has 6.75-inch blooms and scapes from 31-34 inches tall. Branching ranges from three-way to four-way. Bud count varies widely on the four scapes. Three have 9-13 buds and the fourth has 23. As far as the lower bud scapes go, those fans get shaded considerably by the husky dormant fans and tall scapes of another seedling. Here are a couple photos of this one. My camera makes the edge look white. It's actually a combination of cream and gold.
This is its sibling, which is considerably shaded by others in the crowded seedling bed and has 25 inch scapes with 9-11 buds. This one is a pinkish red with a white edge.
The next one is the red most people picked as a favorite last year. It has The Ultimate Sacrifice as a pod parent. Bloom size remains 6 inches, but scape height has increased from 23 inches last year to 26-28 inches this year. Bud count last year was 8-9, and this year it's 11-12, which is not enough for me to register. It remains a keeper because those stats match or outdo registered reds I have, and it does set seed. so it can be a bridge plant.
Barbara Mandrell baby - this one is my fastest multiplying red seedling, going to nine fans in three years. The blooms are 5.75-6 inches both bloom seasons. Scape height increased from 20 inches last year to 27-30 inches this year. Bud count went from 8-10 last year to 9-13 this year. I'm at a dilemma on what to do with this one. If I knew I could register it, fast multiplying would be an asset. But with those bud counts registration is unlikely. Should I keep this one? Weigh in yay or nay.
I love its sibling, which struggled during the first two years, likely because of grub attacks. The color, edge, white watermark, and its pod-setting ability earn my devotion. It's 23 inches tall with a six-inch bloom and 9 buds on each of its two scapes. It is badly shaded by its sibling and two other taller seedlings. so I will be moving it to a prime location later in summer.
The next two are sibs with The Ultimate Sacrifice as a pollen parent and a Floyd Cove beauty as the mama.
#1 has a 7 inch bloom on 28 inch scapes with 9-12 buds. Sometimes the petals look more purple than red.
#2 - This one blooms late, which is a plus. 6.5-7 inch blooms, depending on the weather, on 25-inch scapes. This is the one that has gone down in buds - 14 last year to 11 this year. I think the reason has to be that it is getting shaded by surrounding plants. I love the colors and the heavy gold edge on this one.
The last one is a Spacecoast Francis Busby kid, garden named Blazing Fran.
Last year it was 31 inches tall - this year 38! Red orange blooms with gold edge range from 6.75-6 inches. Bud count is 13 on both scapes. Monster-sized foliage shades everything around it.
18-92-A
