They both look really healthy. I think I like the plant in the bottom photo slightly more than the other.

i cant decide..cause i would of taken both lol

Haha, this is what I did. Bought both. But I think I will take one back. Space is getting limited.

Jeff, I am also leaning towards the second one. So striking.

I prefer the 2nd too, though I wonder if it'll be too white in cooler winter temps?

Thanks everyone. Second one will stay.

#2 blooms to the description, #1 is sport.

Do you say that based on the extra purple in the first one, Irina? I would have thought the harlequins would show a great deal of variability from flower to flower.

Same must go for my two. I thought they were different but one must be a sport of the same. Such informative tidbits I'm getting on this forum!

Now that sounds like a fun little propagation project! I joined AVSA recently and the article wasn't in either of the mags I have. But I did find an article on an online vendor's site. I would really like to try this!

This particular av has me scratching my head. This is the second bloom cycle since I bought it. It had pinwheel flowers on the first cycle, and now on the second cycle they're mixed. I bought it cause I liked the original pattern. So now I wonder whether this plant will eventually lose its chimera trait as it ages.

Irina, once the new chimera grows from the blossom stem do you think it will stay a chimera as it goes through blooming cycles or will it start reverting like it's doing now?

I tried to id this plant online with no success. The AVSA site list all the AVs that have already been discovered to have chimera sports. Mine is probably there as this seems to be a common variety.

http://www.avsa.org/sports

Chimeras are by definition unstable...there's no telling what they will do.

Is this by any chance an Optimara variety? If so, I would suggest Chico as it is well known to produce Chimera blooms.

Terri

Thanks dbarron. Yes, Optimara. Thanks Terri. Good to know that about Chico variety. Not listed in avsa's known sport list but one of my guesses after I bought it had been Chico, too.

It is worth working on! No prediction of course - DBarron is right - may be you will need to do it more than once to stablize it.

Aegis,

My Harlequin is showing root rotting from top and bottom watering (never can master the damn thing!). I ran out to get another one. Luckily, I found one in one of the Lowe's. Otherwise, I might get desperate too. This new one I immediately put it on wick. Thank God, now all my plants are on wicks!

I like the second one too. If you want to experiment with the sport, then totally get both. :o)