This is the second time I've seen this this year on this plant. I know it must be a chemical reaction to something on the flower or bud.... This is the only plant I've seen this type of spotting. On closer look, particularly on the back side, or the part that is exposed as a bud...it looks like maybe insect damage. Could an insect be chewing on the bud and introducing some chemical?
...here is a close up from the front. You can see what looks to be tissue damage in the center of some of the spots...
...and looking from the back side....you see more damage...and in the lower part of the picture may be the culprit! It looks like an ant! I know there are many ants around this plant...maybe the blue pigment has a reaction to formic acid.....sort of like litmus paper?
Arlan
I don't think so, Joseph. We routinely get rain at various stages of bud development and I don't ever see this. I have 3 other identical plants growing next to it, blooming, with no spots. By the way, these are tri-lobe leaved Q0426 seed parent plants.
I do know that the buds look pink the evening before they open, so maybe something gets on them that just doesn't let the blue develop?
Arlan
