If the only apple I’d ever eaten was a mealy Red Delicious, I would think
apples weren’t anything I ever wanted to eat again. But “Fuji,” “Pink Lady” and
“Jazz” are three I relish.
All are apples, but not the same. German shepherds and Jack Russell’s are
dogs, but poles apart in looks and performance. With ornamental plants, it can
make a world of difference to know the desirable cultivars, and be open to
improved forms.
This is not true across the board. If I want a Shumard oak, most any
Shumard acorn planted will produce a similar tree, but you could not give me a
free magnolia,crape myrtle, or rose of Sharon that sprang up from seed in your
yard. I don’t want it.
It’s not free. I’ll put effort into planting and watering, protect it from
mowers and dogs, and years from now it might be a decent looking plant...but
then again, it might not. I don’t know anything about its genes.
I’d rather go to a progressive garden center that pays attention to
breeding improvements. I’ll happily plop down my dollars for a plant that made
the big time because it had good DNA. I’ll know the growth habit, the color of
the foliage and bloom. I might even get an idea of its eventual size, but truth
be known, that information is often dubious.
A few years ago, I would have had no interest in a rose of sharon. Most
look lanky and tired. The flower colors are insipid pastel pinks, lavender or
white, and spent flowers brought to mind Kleenex littering the ground where they
dropped.
Now I am the proud owner of a form called “Purple Pillar,” and picking out
a spot to add another called “Blue Chiffon.” These are just two of the “newer
models” that have been introduced and have won me over in display gardens.
