The New Caladium Frontier - East plus West!
By LariAnn Garner (LariAnn) on June 23, 2010
While the western-style Caladiums have been around for many years, the relatively recent advent of the Thai Caladium varieties has sent ripples throughout the Caladium fancier's world. Now, I'm bringing the two together in a bold cross-cultural hybridization program - read on for the spicy details! |
The true test of these new plants, though, will be how they perform in winter, and if they are as easy to grow in the long term as the other Western cultivars are. So that will mean another year of work with them to finalize this first trial. Having had my first taste of cross-cultural success, I couldn't resist trying another combination or two. Unfortunately, the Thai varieties of Caladium are not as vigorous or prolific as my Western specimens, so only one of them bloomed at the same time as the Western cultivars. This particular one happens to have rather dark, almost black, coloration on the leaves, and it is apparently a mutation of a named Thai variety. So, for purposes of my work, I have given this variety the name of "Black Thai" (see photo below, left). My first attempt appears to be resulting in some berry swelling when using Black Thai as the ovule parent. A second plant of the Black Thai, pollinated later, seems also to be setting a nice head of berries in response to Western pollen. Oh, just in case you were wondering how I decide which Western cultivars to use in my crosses, the answer is that, although I have certain ones I wish to try, I must use the best of whichever ones happen to have fresh pollen when the other prospective parent is ovule-receptive (or vice versa). Knowing now that I can, indeed, mix the Eastern and Western cultivars together to produce new plants, I am anxious to try working with some even more spectacular Thai varieties, like the brilliant red shiny-leaved one that I have, or the soft velvety maroon strap-leaf. For now, I can only dream of what I will be able to come up with when I get the chance to breed with those! The first Black Thai cross yielded 6 (six) seeds, which are now germinating. The second one (Black Thai pollen on my "bloodspotted candidum" hybrid) yielded 27 seeds, just planted this weekend. Four other crosses involving Thai Caladiums have swelling and ripening berries. Berries from all crosses described above have been harvested, seeds removed and cleaned, and all have germinated as well. It is now a wait and see game to discover what I might have produced from these crosses. A future article will cover the results of these crosses. All photos copyright 2010 LariAnn Garner |
araceae, aroids, Caladiums, elephant ears |
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Comments and discussion:
Subject | Thread Starter | Last Reply | Replies |
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Thank-you. | Katg | Jul 4, 2010 6:40 PM | 10 |
I love caladiums!! | UniQueTreasures | Jul 1, 2010 11:25 AM | 12 |
Aroids are great!!! | Ridesredmule | Jun 25, 2010 10:48 AM | 0 |
Lari Ann.... | Sharon | Jun 23, 2010 10:56 AM | 1 |