*Celestial Shore
*CELESTIAL
SHORE (Stamile, P.) TET 4196 [(Lavender Heartthrob x Bella Sera) X
Roses And Gold] 30” EMRe. emo. Ev. 6” x 3 ¾” x 2 ¾”.
4-way branching (2 laterals + Y) 30-35 buds. This gorgeous rose violet
with a blue lavender eye and double edges of blue lavender and white
has been a standout in the early garden that is not especially known
for purple. Early blooming purples are especially valued and
CELESTIAL SHORE has both the size and drama to garner your
attention. Some may question why a rose red daylily
would be crossed into purple. The reason is to improve the plant habit
of the purple. Many purples bloom just above the leaves. My
own LARRY ALLEN MILLER and BELLA SERA are examples. I wanted the
branching and flowers to come well above the foliage rather than sit on
top of the foliage so I used the rose, ROSES AND GOLD, which has tall
well-branched scapes. The genes which control the enzyme steps
leading to purple are dominant over rose so I knew most flowers would
be purple with occasional rose flowers as an enzyme step failed and
rose rather than purple was produced. This breeding was very
successful in CELESTIAL SHORE and I share this hybridizing tip with
those who might have low-scaped purples.
CELESTIAL SHORE is also very vigorous. Perhaps
because of its diverse pedigree it has a tremendous amount of hybrid
vigor especially for such a large plant.
CELESTIAL SHORE is a wonderful hybridizing
flower. Not only does it have lavender, purple and rose in the
background but it is an incredibly easy pod parent and has proved to be
a wonderful parent for purples. Easily fertile both ways.