Zoe, Zoe, Zoe. I have such a love-hate relationship with this one. The blooms are gorgeous but she's given me fits since planting her. I bought a DF of ZOE ALLEGRA from Bill Maryott some years ago. She bloomed late in the summer that she was planted and everything seemed to be going very well. But then winter set in. I was pretty much convinced she was a gonner. Spring rolled around and everything looked like I had put boiling water on it and left it to sit and die. I wrote it off as one of those loses you take in the north when you bring in southern plants. But then sure enough up pops some little green foliage and about a month later you'd have never known there was any doubt. I was thrilled. But no blooms. Ok, I thought, maybe the stress of the winter and having to acclimate was the problem. I've seen it in other plants before and it's not unusual. Next year, the same thing. Year after...again! :grumbling:
In the meantime the plant went from 2 fans to 7 so she kept tempting me. But then...this year! I was once again thinking I had lost fans (you would think by now I would know...but no I was still worried). Eventually this year A scape. Then another...AND ANOTHER! She bloomed for me and then rebloomed twice. It was great! I'm hoping she's settled or whatever but who knows.
The blooms for me are a nice mixture. The pattern in the eye will show up most of the time, other times it will just have magnificent color banding. The plant is pod and pollen fertile and in my experience seems to be more rust resistant than average. Of course, she's hardy to zone 5b though it would seem there may be a period she need to acclimate.
