Hey John...

21 years ago

You gave me a cutting of Kohleria allenii a few years back. I thought I might have lost it, when I saw a nice plant for sale at the convention. So, I bought it. Luckily the plant I grew from your cuttings did survive under lights. So, it did make a rhizome when I mistreated it. It now is too small to flower but I noticed that its foliage looks different--more pointed leaves. I wonder if I have two different seedlings from the collection. I understand that the x on the collection number means it is from a selfing from the original collection.

But, happily my new plant from the convention, which was in a four inch round pot, with two shoots; and correctly labeled with the proper USBRG number + x, is now in full bud. This morning I noticed that is has one petal (!) on one flower open. I can barely peak inside to see the spots and colors. I think I detect fragrance as well.

I wonder who brought the plant to the sale. It was so well established that it grew into flower for me, of all people. I grew it on the window sill above the sink, where it baked in the summer sun (eastern exposure) but was hit frequently with water. It dried out very quickly too. I under fed it but it got just enough food to grow into flower.

Hey, its open now. It has that characteristic short flower with a wide open tube and small petals, mostly tawny yellow with red on the upper petals and lots of nice large distinct spots. I would describe the fragrance as "fruity". It has about 16 buds but may have more being produced at the tip. Oh, and it has pollen. Now, what do do??--self pollination for the seedfund, hybridizing, getting someone over here with a digital camera...

Perhaps, did you bring this plant to the convention sale last summer? If so, thanks! In any case it must have come from you originally, so thanks again.

Jon

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Comments (2)

JohnnieB
21 years ago
Hi Jon--

I'm glad to hear you're having luck with this plant. I don't know who propagated it for the convention but I tried to spread it around to a lot of people. It's a very interesting species that ought to be grown more. It tends to be more tropical than most other kohlerias (it comes from relatively lowland areas of Panama and Costa Rica, unlike many kohlerias that come from higher elevations in Colombia) and is the most cold-sensitive kohleria I have grown. Temperatures much below 50 degrees or so will blacken the foliage. Otherwise it's easy to grow; it loves heat and sun, and grows tall so needs plenty of room--i.e., outdoors or a greenhouse. The flowers are bat-pollinated and usually open in the evening, and yes, they do have a fragrance (this is the only known fragrant kohleria). The main drawback is that each flower only lasts for 2-3 days so there are never many open at one time. Otherwise it would make a very dramatic garden plant.
jon_d
Original Author
21 years ago
Yesterday, on the only open flower, the little petals were nice and flat. Today, they have all reflexed back and aren't quite as attractive. I am sorry to learn that the flowers don't last long as the spike has lots of buds. I went around and put pollen on the few kohlerias I had in flower. Not, the best plants to make crosses with this one but the results if any, should be interesting. I put it on 'Beltane' and 'Trinidad'. After I did the pollination I tied a short piece of dental floss around the pedicel to mark the flowers I pollinated. Hopefully I will get some seed.

Meanwhile I have been bringing in my various kohlerias from the greenhouse and putting them in bright windows or under lights. I am finding that regardless of variety, they seem to prefer the indoors to my cooler greenhouse.

Under lights I have equally sized plants of 'Sunshine' and 'Roundelay'. They have nearly identical foliage--dark charcoal gray patterned leaves; but, 'Sunshine' is all budded up while 'Roundelay' needs to grow on a bit more. I have another pot of 'Sunshine' budded up on another lightstand, also very compact. I am beginning to think that is is a terrific kohleria. I wish I knew what its parents were.

Jon
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