Hardy Blue Hibiscus

It appears that researches at Texas A&M have achieved a hardy blue Hibiscus.

Mike

AgriLife Research hibiscus breeder comes up with the blue
http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=2114

Blue Breed: Rare Hibiscus Color Is Achieved Thanks to Flower Breeding Project
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100903112512.htm

Dr. Dariusz P. Malinowski Ph.D.
http://vernon.tamu.edu/center_info/faculty_staff/malinowski_dariusz_p/malinowski_dariusz_bio.php

Winter-Hardy Hibiscus Breeding Project
http://vernon.tamu.edu/library/files/malinowski/Hibiscus%20Breeding%20-%20INTRO.pdf

Too cool!
I hope they're right about the F1's. I would definitely make room in my garden for a blue hardy hibiscus.
Barb

I'm so excited! Sign me up!

Michael,
Do you think this blue hibiscus is the Berrylicious that Walter's Garden is listing?
...and where can we buy it?
William

William,

An interesting Hibiscus, here is the product page with a very nice slideshow:
Hibiscus SUMMERIFIC™ 'Berrylicious' PPAF CPBRAF
http://www.waltersgardens.com/plants/view/?plant=2134

What was compelling about the slideshow is that the flowers are lavender in all stages of development from bud to full flower. As we all too well know, some Hibiscus only live up to their color in the bud stage, which quickly disappears in the full flower.

The breeder is Clarence Falstad, who has worked for Walters Gardens for years. There doesn’t appear to be any connection to Texas A&M. In previous Hibiscus patents Walters Gardens referenced the patents of the Fleming Brothers.

Walters Gardens Hybridizer’s
http://www.waltersgardens.com/growerscorner/?page=392

I searched for the patent application, which sometimes provides the lineage of the plant, but it is not yet online. Other Walters Gardens Hibiscus patents indicated that they are propagating their Hibiscus via tissue culture so they could produce the plants in very large numbers.

Mike

Mike as always thanks so much for sharing all your finds. I cant wait to add this one to my collection. Also a bit off topic my red Texas starts after 3 years of starting from seed are making there way back up this year. Thanks for the tips, hopefull I'll see a flower before I leave. Thanks again mike