Strange Azalea

 

I have an informal hedge of 'George Taber' azaleas in front of my
camellias.  The azaleas are blooming right now.  A close-up photo of a
flower is at <http://www.rossde.com/garden/GeoTaber.jpg> .

One of the plants has a branch with flowers that are all dark pink (a
color sport), resembling 'Formosa'.  (A photo of a 'Formosa' bush in
bloom is at <http://www.rossde.com/garden/Formosa_azalea.jpg> .)  The
other flowers on this same plant are definitely 'George Taber'.

Has anyone else seen such a strange color sport?

--
David E. Ross
Climate:  California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening diary at <http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary>

 


Hi David
Yes I have such an azalea. It was here when we moved in, and I don't
know the
name of it. It does look very much like 'George Taber'. (so I am going
with that
as a name) It is rather large robust plant, 4 ft and I keep it pruned
to that size.
It is also very good at rooting its bottom branches and producing new
plants.

So Yes, it has had solid darkish pink/magenta flowers produced on a
branch,
as yours has done.
But it also has produced branches that have blooms that are bi-
colored. They
look as if someone took a ruler and drew a line right down the middle
of each
bloom.  One side of the flower is the solid dark pink and the other
side of the
"line" is a pure white.  This occurs every few years, not every year.
I would say that "George" is a product of a cross between a pink plant
and a
white one, and every so often the genes "separate" into the two parent
plants.
(no photos, sorry)

Emilie
NorCal