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Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Exciting new plant discovery!


Ok, I'm trying really hard not to get too excited here. Today I was dividing my clumps of Sedum 'Frosty Morn'. I had noticed one or two little pieces that had reverted to a solid pale green and one or two teeny pieces that were all white. They were so small though, like the cotton on a q-tip.

Then I suddenly came across full sized stems with roots attached. Check this out!

Now I know that albino plants don't usually work out. I'm not a scientist but it has something to do with the ability to take up sunlight. Still, I'm going to cross my fingers and toes on this one.

Not only is the foliage creamy but the stems are pink.

I'm going to sit here now waiting for one of you amazing Dutch tissue culture people to call me. Just remember, if it grows it's got to be named Sedum 'Miss Melanie'.

Tomorrow morning's post might be delayed, I potted up 75 one gallon pots today plus a few dozen little pots of Sempervivum. Tomorrow I need to do more so I can drive to Pennsylvania on Friday to pick up my daughter and bring home a load of "dorm stuff".

Do you think this Sedum will live?

19 comments:

Gail said...

We can hope so...what will you name it?! Melanie, do you have a post that describes your sale?

Gail

Amy said...

I certainly hope it lives - what a neat colour combination! "Miss Melanie" would be the perfect name :)

chey said...

How exciting! Good luck with those Melanie. Would they be able to live without chlorophyll? My albino daylily seedlings have never survived. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for you.

CiNdEe's GaRdEn said...

How exciting for you. I will ask my brother about them he is a molecular biologist(-: I hope they survive that would be so cool.

Julie said...

My mind is telling me that maybe they should stay out of full sunlight, and did you find them under something (in darkness)???
They are thriving right now, and for some reason my brain is telling me they should continue to do well, in a more dark location. None of this is official...just me kind of thinking aloud. It really is a pretty little thing all white with pink stems...Miss Melanie sounds lovely!!! You have prompted me to do some research on this!

Frances, said...

Melanie, you have the most amazing stamina, what is your secret? We have tried to isolate the all white pieces of frosty morn, they have either died or went back to the normal variegation. Hope 'Miss Melanie' can be successfully cultured, you will be the next Miss Ellen Wilmott!
Frances at Faire Garden

Anonymous said...

Ha!!! 'Miss Melanie', indeed! Good luck with this one, and if it can't survive without its chlorophyll, save the name--something will come through for you! And make sure you let us all know here first so we can get in line for ours when they hit the nurseries.

Jane O' said...

Melanie, please stop by my blog to pick up a well-deserved award:)

Dave said...

That's pretty cool! It will probably live but might revert back to the original. If you manage to get it going I might have to order some from you!

Mr. McGregor's Daughter said...

Good luck with that. My 2 variegated sports (a Labrador violet & a Campanula persicifolia) both were weak & died b4 ever leaving the garden.

Karen said...

That is so cool! Keep us posted on how they do.

Unknown said...

What a lovely color combo for a plant! It looks so incredibly springy. I hope it lives. Miss Melanie would be a great name for that sweet little plant.

Anonymous said...

I once dug up a sedum and left in on the driveway for over a week while on vacation. It had no soil and no water and when we came home it was as happy as could be. So, maybe there is hope for "Miss Melanie"

Anonymous said...

I hope it lives to. We got one a couple weeks ago that is pale yellow with pink flowers and so far so good. Unfortunately it no longer had its tag the nursery workers didn't know what it was.

archivesinfo said...

very cool!

Janice said...

I hope it lives, but yeah typically a plant needs some green so that it can produce chlorophyll. A friend told me that when I got excited about my albino daylily seedling. He did however say that it could eventually turn green and live, but that's not the point I guess. Good luck! Sedum "Miss Melanie", Cute!

Anonymous said...

How many babies did you say you potted up? And I hope your albino baby doesn't revert. We are in the year of the super plants so maybe your are on to something.

I did read your reply back to me about the hammock at the little shop I'm featuring. Sorry I didn't reply back--I'm just hanging by a thread here cause I'm so tired from amending all my beds this week and working. I didn't see any hammocks but I did some cool ones at Lowes.

I'm glad your daughter is coming home too. Now you can sleep well knowing everyone is back home under one roof.

Barbara said...

I hadn't thought much of my own little albino seedling until I read your post. You inspired me to do a quick albino post of my own. I have a handful of grapefruit seedlings(from my morning grapefruit) and one came up completely without color. At first it looked strong, but now it's not doing so hot.

Esther Montgomery said...

Melanie - I've mentioned you on today's post of ESTHER IN THE GARDEN (in relation to the Ming Porcelain).

Hope that's ok.

Esther