Tropicals & Tender Perennials: Tropical Garden #91 - February 2011, 1 by dyzzypyxxy

dyzzypyxxy wrote:
Gordon, I got 'Stuttgart' cannas from Van Bourgondien. Twice! I e-mailed them after the first set didn't develop variegated foliage. Debbie VB wrote me back to say that the variegation is caused by something called a "chimera" which is a rogue gene of some sort. It can lurk, then suddenly turn up - but I waited 4 years.They sent me more at no charge, but they didn't work either. As you say, they could have crossed somewhere . . . who knows. If I keep them in pots, my others don't cross, but in the bed, they do seem to come back in spring with different color combos of reds and yellows. Maybe I'll try 'Stuttgart' again some time, but I just ordered 'Durban' for my vairiegated foliage fix. My daughter grew it last year and it has wild red, pink and green striped leaves plus a great orange bloom. We'll see if I can keep it under control!

HollyAnn, I am a diver, too! We like Grand Cayman 'cause it's only 90 min. on the plane from Tampa. They have a cool botanical garden there, too! It took a lot of damage from Hurricane Ivan the year before we went last, but we are going back this May, so I hope it will have recovered.

This photo of me (in the blue jacket) was taken at Selby Gardens a couple of years ago.