We all accept that daffodils will very occasionally throw sports – different flowers from established , known parents , vegetatively propagated , not seed propagated . Probably the best known are several colour breaks and a big double from the very widely grown Dutch flower Ice Follies – Ice King .The chances of a vegetative sport are probably directly related to the numbers grown – Ice Follies is a very widely grown and sold flower in both Europe and USA , with also a presence in very small markets like New Zealand .
Kiwi Sunset and Kiwi Solstice , two exceptional doubles from Max Hamilton , are now well establish , very popular cut flowers in NZ . The pedigree of these siblings is unknown and we can only speculate . Graham Phillips received stock from Max , now several decades ago andClandon Daffodils marketbig numbers as cut flowers – all as Kiwi Sunset , it’s accepted market name .It has a strong following .
Graham was in Otaki this year for our Daffodil show and we checked out a KiwiSunset sport he had sent me and also a selected sport I had isolated and was evaluating .
The Phillips selection is a 2Y – O , similar size to K S and similar petal shape . Graham had sent me 5 bulbs , 4 flowered as the sport and one asKiwi S .They were first year down bulbs and were flowering at the same time as similar K S stock .Graham had isolated the sport about6 years ago and has it flowering consistently – but has never had a reversion / sport of the same parent bulb .
Phillips Kiwi Sunset sport
Graham and I then moved across the block a little to a 2 year down line of Kiwi Sunset .Their floweringtime was about a week behind the 1 year down stock . Standing about 3 inches above the line were several small clumps of a very vigorous 2 Y – Y flower ; tall , strong stem , quite round in form but not as similar to K S as the Phillips selection .They had been in this line for about a decade and I had mentioned them to Graham on several occasions .Graham meticulously checked each flowering and was delighted to find one bulb with the sport and also an obvious KS bud from the same bulb .He keenly pegged this bulb and I will lift it carefully this summer .
My KS selection ; KS bud visible , a few days later open ; carefully pegged .
At the Central Daffodil Group Late show , Spud Brogden won the split corona classs with a nice 11W – P , – a very good perianth backing a rich pink , lightly split corona ; a tidy flower well worth a premier . He was keen to show me some sports from this selection – 3 variations from one bulb of BB 10 – 5 – 22 , the premier .They are of the one big bulb , now carefully pegged , to be lifted and grown separately to see if they remain different . The small 3 lobed selection reminded me of the Mitsch flower PHANTOM , the parent of so many pink splits . In my experience , variation( or lack of consistency ) amongst splits is far more frequent than standards .
Split sports from Spud – all of the same bulb .
Polar Flame has been a successful 3W – O show flower from John Hunter for many years ; it is probably now replaced by some excellent newer seedlings but has been a regular on the benches for a decade or longer .Neither John or Marie had noticed any flower variation in the many years they have grown and shown Polar Flame . However spring 2018 produce his yellow variation , very similar in all aspects except colour .As with all of the above , they have carefuly checked that they are from the same parent bulb , yes , and have been carefully pegged to be grown on separately .
Polar Flame and sport for John and Marie Hunter .
In a few years time will we have four stabilised new flowers – or willwe still be a little uncertain. Only time will tell .
