Empress Wu seedlings

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waldo
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Joined: Jan 03, 2015 11:45 am
USDA Zone: 6a
Location: Central PA (Bellefonte is almost dead center)

Empress Wu seedlings

Post by waldo »

This is my bed of Empress Wu x plantaginea seedlings, started and grown under lights in Novenber 2015.
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2016-10-10 Empress Wu x plantaginea3.jpg
2016-10-10 Empress Wu x plantaginea.jpg
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Pieter
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Re: Empress Wu seedlings

Post by Pieter »

Ahhh, 'Fragrant Empress' perhaps? Have they flowered yet and are the flowers indeed fragrant?
Pieter

"Never trust anyone who doesn't have dog hair on their clothes."

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waldo
Posts: 72
Joined: Jan 03, 2015 11:45 am
USDA Zone: 6a
Location: Central PA (Bellefonte is almost dead center)

Re: Empress Wu seedlings

Post by waldo »

They haven't flowered yet, I am hoping for 2017 but based on my Empress Wu experience it might be longer until they are old/mature enough. I am just amazed at the size of some of them after this first season.
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waldo
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Joined: Jan 03, 2015 11:45 am
USDA Zone: 6a
Location: Central PA (Bellefonte is almost dead center)

Re: Empress Wu seedlings

Post by waldo »

Just wanted to update this post, I had two plants blooming this year. One more has a scape with buds presently. I have posted pictures of the first two. One has "normal' flower with fragrance, but the second one has unusual flowers. The flower tepals (there are only four) are fused at the tips, the pistil and stamen seem deformed or twisted. I did a little "surgery" and opened them up so that I could apply pollen. The trick is/was guessing when to pollinate since the opening of the flowers which normally is the indicator didn't happen. Now I just have to wait to see if seeds form and then if they do in a couple of years I'll know more.
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2017-07-06 EmWU x plantaginea #2 ae.jpg
2017-07-06 EmWU x plantaginea #2 ae.jpg (31.83 KiB) Viewed 4830 times
2017-08-19 Empress Wu 2e.jpg
2017-08-21 Empress Wu 4e.jpg
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Pieter
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Joined: May 16, 2006 9:18 am
Location: Richmond, BC @ 49°07'49.30 N Elevation: 8ft
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Re: Empress Wu seedlings

Post by Pieter »

I have a similar thing happening with a Hacksaw/Ray of Hope seedling I call "Tousled Hair". The flowers are fused, like the ones you're showing, but I haven't bothered to do the surgery, I just let them be. Pods started to develop but they have all aborted. I'll have to make a point next year of opening up the tepals and see what's there in terms of pistil and stamens.
Pieter

"Never trust anyone who doesn't have dog hair on their clothes."

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