Question about Gerbera

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Dinu Mysore, India(Zone 10a) Jun 20, 2002

Why does my gerbera sometimes give out white flowers instead of its original pink?

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Baa Jun 20, 2002

Dinu

This is quite complicated (and I might confuse myself *G*)so please bear with me.

From what I understand, white and yellow flower colours are the genetic base colours of all flowers, the simplest (less evolved) flowers are often these colours. More evolved species bear red and blue shades.

The blue and red shades are controlled by the anthocyanin pigmentation (literally dark blue flower but also meaning the red shades too). In the flowers that have this pigmentation there is the ability to return to a yellow or white form on the same plant depending on how the individual plant regulates the anthocyanin pigmentation. It is also the reason you may find a group of red or blue flowers with a white (or yellow depending on species) flowered plant of the same kind within the group. Foxgloves and Epilobiums are 2 red shade plants that have a quite common white flowered equivalent.

Asteraceae are quite genetically complex plants and will sometimes change flower colour on the same plant. Blue flowering Lobelia also has this colour change back to white on the same plant too.

I hope that was understandable :)+

Post #285840
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Dinu Mysore, India(Zone 10a) Jun 20, 2002

Yes that was clear. Hats off to your knowledge. Will the original colour return?

Post #285889
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Baa Jun 20, 2002

Dinu

Only the flower has the answer to that question, but at a guess, yes it will produce some more pink flowers in the future.

Post #286021
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Dinu Mysore, India(Zone 10a) Aug 02, 2004

Two years pass... a lot of water flows under the bridge... But my Gerbera in question continues to give whkite flowers. Perhaps it has undergone a 'permanent' change?

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