Who is the azalea expert???????

[kokopup]

I have a bunch of azaleas that are around 12 years old. This year when they bloomed one of my plants had changed completely in color and the leaves on the plant are changed also.
The picture attached shows the pink/red azalea with the original color in the background. The entire plant has changed. All the Pink/red is a plant that used to be violet like those in
background.

In the same group there is another plant that just has a part of one branch
that has changed color.



This is the plant that just a part of one branch has changed. This is a different color and is more purplish. You can see the original plant behind
that is on the same branch. What is going on here? Why wait 12 years to
change?




This is how all of the Azaleas should look and did for 12 years.

[lvpets2002]

Heck I dont know nothing about flowers other than == These flowers are of such Beauty.. great pics thanks

[pomtzu]

Wish I knew. I had an instance where I planted 2 small ones together - one was red and the other was white. I thought they'd look pretty when they got bigger and bloomed the following year and it would be 2 colors looking like it was all in one bush. Wrong!!! The following year both bloomed all red! If you find out what's going on, let me know!

[kokopup]

I have the opposite problem. These bloomed the pale orchid color for 12 years
then this year I have 3 colors. I have one bush with 2 different colors on one
branch.

[pomtzu]

I have the opposite problem. These bloomed the pale orchid color for 12 years
then this year I have 3 colors. I have one bush with 2 different colors on one
branch.

Cross pollination? But you'd think it would have happened a lot sooner. I'm no plant expert - just the opposite. All I know how to do is plant them and watch them grow.

Yours look pretty blooming in different colors tho. That's what I was trying to accomplish!

[lizbud]

I think chemical changes in the soil produces different color flowers.
But I do know they are very beautiful.

[Karen]

Cross-pollination wouldn't cause a color change in the existing shrubs, but might in any "daughter" shrubs - cross pollination affects the children, but not the parents, per se.

Have you done some major pruning? Maybe you pruned off branches of one color that had been grafted onto a different color root stock, as is sometimes done, so the original stock is now flowering.

Have you done any major fertilizing or anything else to change your soil's chemistry?

Azaleas need more sun than we get in my yard, so I am not an azalea 'expert' just sharing what I do know.

[pomtzu]

Cross-pollination wouldn't cause a color change in the existing shrubs, but might in any "daughter" shrubs - cross pollination affects the children, but not the parents, per se.

Hmmm - then I wonder how one of my adults lost it's original color and took on the color of it's buddy that it was planted with. I'm stumped! Any ideas???

[Husky_mom]

and there goes another mistery of the universe... neat plants/ colors though

I'm also intrigued as to why...

[Husky_mom]

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/l...592615582.html

found this also

Most likely the change in color is due to the ph of the soil. The more acidic the ph the redder it will be, the more basic the whiter it will get. Hope this helps

[kokopup]

I posted a similar post on a Azalea website through Yahoo,
This is my reply to that inquiry from George Klump ,Southern California Chapter, ARS/ASA

Thanks for asking this question. While you do not say what kind of azaleas you have, it is, nonetheless, the case that hybrids, as your must be, can revert to characteristics particular to one or both parents.

Here is an example. The original azalea brought in from Asia in 19th century, R. Coccinea, was initially reddish-purple with large dark green leaves, quite a spectacular plant. It was thrown out because it was not suitable for force blooming in the European flower trade. It was found that this azalea tolerated the sun rather well and became part of the group known as the Southern Indica azaleas. Suddenly, the R. Coccinea sent out a sport which had the same flower color, except that the leaves were light green. Nurserymen called that one R. Formosa. Right after that R. coccinea sent out a second sport with the same flower color, except that the leaves were smaller and were dark green as was the original parent, R. Coccinea. However, this plant was called R. Phoenicia after the general color and complexion of the Phoenicians of the eastern Mediterranean. [The flowers had a single red blotch on them.] Then, R. Formosa sent out a sport of its own which became R. Southern Charm and its flower was watermelon color. Still later, R. Southern Charm shot out another sport of its own which was called R.Judge Solomon which had a flower of salmon color, same leaves as R. Formosa.

Then, R. Phoenicia sent out a sport, large light green leaves, pink flower with darker pinkish-red blotch. Leaf size was large, as with the original R. Coccinea! That one was named R. George Lindley Tabor after a family in Florida which was well known for gardening work.

My point is that sports can occur anytime on any plant. It sounds as if you have that occurring on your azaleas. You would need to know the seed and pollen parents of the azaleas to determine which one is coming through at this time. This can happen with variegated plants which might shoot out a straight green branch of leaves. One must cut it off right away, else there is danger of the entire plant reverting to full green in time.

George Klump
Southern California Chapter, ARS/ASA

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

I think chemical changes in the soil produces different color flowers.
.

i asked my hubby!! He says Lizbud is right!! There hybrids are very sensitive to changes in soil!

plants which might shoot out a straight green branch of leaves. One must cut it off right away, else there is danger of the entire plant reverting to full green in time.

This is so true too!! This also happens with roses, but my hubby cuts this branches off!

Hey did you know that my town Lochristi is known worldwide for it's azalea's!! Google "azalea Lochristi"!

[kokopup]

I think I will cut the part of the branch that has turned purple and try to root it. I'm not sure what will bloom from it next year but I need to remove it before it changes the whole plant. I guess I will just transplant the plant that has become pink/red. I preferred it when the whole cluster of azaleas were the same color. I like both of the new color azaleas but
I just don't want them mixed. I have another area that is just white azaleas mixed with wild white hydrangea so I guess I will start a purple and Pink/red area. I have both pink and purple crepe myrtle so these should complement each other.

[Freckles]

Have you done some major pruning? Maybe you pruned off branches of one color that had been grafted onto a different color root stock

I know severe pruning will make this happen to roses.

[kokopup]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Karen View Post
Have you done some major pruning? Maybe you pruned off branches of one color that had been grafted onto a different color root stock

originally post by freckles
I know severe pruning will make this happen to roses.

These plants have not been pruned at all. They are in an area that I can allow them to get large. When they finish completely blooming in around a week they are really quite stunning.

Only about 10% of the blooms have opened now.