Is this REALLY 'Liberty Bell'?

[ViolaAnn]

Have been trying to get my hands on a division of 'Liberty Bell' for several years. Finally a Canadian nursery said they located some in the US while on a trip down there. They ordered it, but it never got across the Canadian border last year. This year it DID arrive and I received it last week. But is it REALLY 'Liberty Bell'? http://www.hostalibrary.org/l/liberty.html which is supposed to be streaky? Will the streaks develop later? Or do you think I've received something else?

Ann

[Chris_W]

Hi Ann,

I'm not really familiar with Liberty Bell, but looking at the info it should be a streaked plant, however since they are quite unstable this very well could be a stabilized, margined plant from Liberty Bell called Bell Ringer. It looks about right for the parentage.

Hope that helps.

Chris

[jgh]

streaked plants will often stabilize... but stable parents very rarely go back to showing streaks. Not impossible - but not likely...

contact the source - I think you have a legitimate return / exchange /refund situation. If they were seeking out a streaked plant, they should know better.

[ViolaAnn]

I've already sent an email, but I know he was away at the convention and I'm not sure when he was planning to return. I like the plant, and it will do the job of honoring my handbell choir which gave me a gardening gift certificate, but there is, or should be, a distinct price difference between 'Liberty Bell' and 'Bell Ringer'. I'll let you know what I find out.

The difficulty here, is finding a 'Liberty Bell' in Canada. I've been trying for several years already.

Ann

[ViolaAnn]

I this "venting day"? I just want to express frustration that I've emailed the nursery TWICE and have left a phone message and I've not heard a word back from them. A well-known nursery here in Ontario.

Ann

[Chris_W]

Makes you wonder if they just didn't realize that the plant you were supposed to get was a streaker and maybe they are trying to get some info from their supplier?

[ViolaAnn]

Chris, I think that's entirely possible, and I'm a very patient person if I know that my inquiry is being looked after. All I really want is acknowledgment of my concern.

[lovem]

Hi Ann
here is a link that might help you. take care Bryan

[lovem]

sorry Ann
the link did not show http://www.hostaseedgrowers.com/Streaked_Plants.html
take care Bryan

[Pieter]

Ann, following the link you give in your original posting, you will notice the second picture, Bob Axmear's, that there are several edge variegated non-streaked leaves visible in the lower left that look to be in a pot labeled 'Liberty Bell'. They look an awful lot like what you have. You would have thought that anyone worth their salt would have noticed the anomaly and put it aside for re-labeling rather than shipping it as being something it clearly is not. It's one thing to have a streaker stabilize when it is in your garden, but to have the stabilized form shipped without a hint of streaking anywhere is just not right.

I received a 'Ray of Hope' in a trade in '07. While most of the shoots are streaky, one settled into a variegated form in '09. I separated it and I now have several edge variegated divisions of it, which by all accounts would be 'Roller Coaster Ride'. Streakers can and do stabilize, as do edge variegated ones. Have a 'Dixie Chick' shoot that came up solid green this spring, 'Crystal Dixie' by the looks of it, yet, after separating it there's a new offset developing that's edge variegated still/again. Further division is in the offing, probably not until next year though.

Ah, yes, the fascinating and frustrating trials and tribulations of Hostaholics....

[ViolaAnn]

Just to mention that I FINALLY got an email response from the nursery and we are working out a solution.

Ann