Trial: Perennial
Years Trialed: 1999, 2000Good Qualities
Year 1
Nice pink color (3); Dark glossy leaves; Interesting and different looking; Large flowers, good stems, later flowering.Year 2
Late, unusual, deep green foliage, good vigor; When you give this lots of water, which it had this year, it is beautiful and tall; Very vigorous, nice color, can be sold as a pod, gaining in popularity.Problems
Year 1
The Chelones are pretty flowers but not great as cuts. The blossoms tend to fall off easily and they get brown. The only stems that were any good were the side shoots and they were not very long; Market limited; Susceptible to aphids. Flowers turn brown at margins; Seems to be struggling, poor establishment; Top burn.Year 2
Bloom fades quickly; Need to watch the water on this, needs plenty; None; Not at its best in this climate (Zone 6b); flowers are burnt from heat; Blooms in August/September; Too short.Year 2
I can barely tell difference from 'Hot Lips'; Similar to Chelone lyonii; Nice flower, increasing in popularity.Trial Data
Year 1
| Yield (stems/plant)¹ | Stem Length (inches)¹ | Market Appreciation Rating² | Repeat Again Rating² | Ease of Cultivation Rating² | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average | 8.0 | 18.6 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.9 |
¹Data shown are from those respondents who harvested stems. Some respondents may not have harvested stems because they were too short. Flowering stems may be longer next year after plants are established. See comments section for more details.
²1 to 5 scale, with 5 being the best. Market ratings are based on sales to wholesalers, retailers, or final consumers direct.
Year 2
| Plants Surviving (%) | Yield (stems/plant)¹ | Stem Length (inches)¹ | Market Appreciation Rating² | Repeat Again Rating² | Ease of Cultivation Rating² | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wholesale | Retail | Consumer | ||||||
| Average | 73.3 | 6.6 | 22.7 | 2.5 | 2.8 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 4.0 |
¹Data shown are from those respondents who harvested stems. Some respondents may not have harvested stems because they were too short. Flowering stems may be longer next year after plants are established. See comments section for more details.
²1 to 5 scale, with 5 being the best. Market ratings are based on sales to wholesalers, retailers, or final consumers direct.
Comments
Year 1
Similar to Chelone lyonii ‘Hot Lips’ (3); I didn’t really like ‘Hot Lips’ either. They are pretty but don’t make great cuts for me; I think I planted these right next to ‘Hot Lips’ from 1998 trials but tag is gone. I can’t see much difference even though one is a year older; Nice cut flower, good foliage and interesting pod popular in Europe and a hard sell in the United States; We like this plant but our customers have not been enthusiastic. Vase life and ability to withstand shipping and handling only fair; Plants are in full sun and doing poorly, perhaps different cultural practices would improve performance; Cut in bud stage or else bloom fades fast.