Now that we ALL have homework for the next workshop...ahem.....
I have been wondering what genetic factors are at play that make most Semps a different color in the winter than in the summer.I have quite a few like Viking , Treebeard and Reinhard that do not change. Viking gets a bit lighter in Aug. but it is just a lighter shade of the same color it has in March. I tell customers that ask about it, that because the day and night temperatures are closer to the same in Aug, the plants are not breathing as deeply as they can when nights are cold and that causes them to become sort of anemic. Hows that for a story??? I know that this year has produced some very intense colors but my Blue Boys right now are very deep burgundy...they do not look like Blue Boy at all. I also notice that on Sempervivum Liste, many kultivars look like 2 different plants at different times of the year. Pink in spring and pale green or blue in July Aug. Or purple on winter and green in summer. This is something that many of my customers have complained about over the years. I am wondering if some species have one or other of these traits and pass it on to all their offspring through many hybridizations (and we are stuck with it)... or Is there something we can do ( like back crossing) or ???? to get more year round stable color. Kevin your thoughts greatly appreciated.
