Untitled Document

Unknown x Ordinary = Mundane
Al Sydnor, past president
American Fuchsia Society Bulletin: July / August, 1997 pg. 8

Finally, after two editions of the AFS Bulletin a record number of new introductions have been published. One ponders the thought, were all these plants really unique enough and of such superb quality to merit being introduced? Will they be around in a couple of years? How many will ever make it into the commercial market place? Will growers be satisfied with these fuchsias and recommend them to their friends?

Library reference material about general plant hybridization stresses that hybridizers should have a goal in mind to improve the genus of the selected plant. Personally, I know Howard McLaughlin’s goal, when living in San Juan Bautista, was to create new fuchsias that were heat tolerant. Dr. Peter Baye, of the San Francisco Branch, is striving for new fuchsias that are gall mite resistant. The Dutch growers are the leaders in developing the aubergine color.

It seems, however, that not all hybridizers have a plan in mind as over thirty percent of the new introductions were of unknown crosses. What was their goal in these cases? Thirty-nine new introductions all came from the same cross. Now how could all of these be so different, of a high standard and truly unique?

"The International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants" governs all new plant introductions world-wide, not just fuchsias. The purpose of registering is to keep cultivar names unique and unduplicated. To produce high quality, superb plants with novel characteristics is not a responsibility of registration. It is not required to submit new plant introductions to any other organization for prior screening. The responsibility of quality must be assigned to the hybridist.

Each hybridist should have in mind a goal to achieve. It is the hybridizer who must be accountable for creating a plant that is unique and will stand the test of time. To do this, the new plant should be grown by other growers in diverse locations. The plant should be evaluated by other growers. Color reference materials and prints need to be studied to determine that this is not a look-alike plant. The poorest resource is one's memory. Another red and white or red and purple may be created, but is it truly different?
Horace Tiret started 5,000 to 7,000 seedlings each year and would only introduce five new cultivars per year. He sent his plants to southern California to be tested in a dryer and hotter climate than San Francisco. Many of the plants Horace introduced over forty years ago are still with us. Can many of the current hyridists hope for that kind of success and recognition ?

Think of this: since 1948, almost 4,000 fuchsias have been introduced. How many of them are in the market place today?