I've had the diploid version of ABBJ for almost 3 years now - it's been through 2 bloom seasons here. It's really a phenomenal bloom. I find that the self color is much clearer than the hybridizer's picture, which makes the patterned eye really pop. It will bloom and rebloom here. Fertile pollen, but a difficult pod to set. I think I got one pod last year and one this year as well. It blooms taller than registered but not quite to the height that David and Doris see. I also have the tet conversion that I acquired this spring. It blooms slightly larger but noticeably taller for me. A picture of its bloom is shown above.
I haven't ever noticed rust on ABBJ but that is not something I really evaluate so take that with a grain (or brick) of salt. It is one of the more vigorous plants I have - constantly seems to be putting up a new fan - both the dip and the conversion bloomed and put up fans this year with minimal intervention from me.
One note - I think it was registered in 2010 but released in 2011.
This is what the hybridizer has to say about it:
Named for a Native American Indian Woman who was a visionary. Almira Buffalo Bone Jackson would take bits of material and left-over feed sacks and weave patterned quilts from them. She would sell them to local traders. When visited by a wealthy man and his wife, he was given a quilt and was stunned by the beauty. He began to send better materials to the group. Word got out and the quilts were being sold back in California and for the first time the women earned money.
This Diploid is the finest all around flower I've bred to date. It has produced so many good seedlings that early on I decided I shouldn't let it out of the garden because I didn't want the competition I might get from others. Margo Reed was visiting and called me over to this flower--"are you going to introduce this?' she asked. I told her my story and she said I should line it out and after a few years of using it I just might want to offer it. So I am....thanks to Margo.
It has wildly fertile pollen, but is a reluctant pod setter. Every bloom is good every day...it holds up well under the heat and more importantly....it thrives in zone 5 and has been tested in S. Carolina where it increases like a weed.
