# Schizostylis lily colour



## mort (20 Sep 2018)

Hi, I have two different colours of this lily in my pond and was wondering how? I originally only bought a pale pink one but have a reddy pink one that's sprung up this year. So my question, is colour change possible or did I get two cultivars in one pot and was just lucky when I divided them last year?




 

 

It was blowing a gale so the pictures are a bit blurry. I also know I have parrots feather in there but it's a lovely plant, if a little thuggish, and I dispose of it properly.


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## tam (20 Sep 2018)

Could be you had two in one and one was younger so didn't flower the first year or its a seedling of the original - a lot of plants won't come true from seed.


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## zozo (20 Sep 2018)

It most likely is..  Actualy the complete white one goes around in the trade as Schizostylis coccinea “alba”.. But i had the same issue last year, bought a red one according its label and it grew a white flower.

Can mean 2 things, or it is switched and labeled wrongly at the nursery or it is a rather natural and occasional variety.. I've once red that some flowering plants produce a kind of chemical which it uses to color the flowers from red to purple and blue. Something with Cyanosomthing (I forgot). And it seems to be pH sensitive and that it loses it's coloring property at higher pH. I dunno if it is something natural for all flowering plants, but it might be that growing in alkiline soil it flowers in a lighter color. Would be easy to check and test..

Fo rexample i noticed the same, white flower and it grows in my case on pH 8.5 +.. Also have a water lily it supposed to grow a burgundy red flower but till now it always flowers white instead. It grows in same high pH condition..

Just a theory i never tested myself..


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## mort (20 Sep 2018)

The two different colours are growing a foot or so apart in the same pond, so I don't think it's environmental. I split it into 3 last year and gave the other to my brother, that's light pink also. I like the diversity and think it'll be interesting to see what colour it comes out next year.


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## dw1305 (20 Sep 2018)

Hi all,





mort said:


> The two different colours are growing a foot or so apart in the same pond, so I don't think it's environmental. I split it into 3 last year and gave the other to my brother, that's light pink also. I like the diversity and think it'll be interesting to see what colour it comes out next year.


They set seed fairly freely, and the wild type colour is bright red, so seed would be the most likely source. 

I've never had much joy with any of the pale flowered cultivars long term, where as the standard red one is pretty reliable and long lived.  If I took <"these pictures this year">, the red one would have increased and the pale one declined.

cheers Darrel


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## mort (20 Sep 2018)

dw1305 said:


> Hi all,They set seed fairly freely, and the wild type colour is bright red, so seed would be the most likely source.
> 
> I've never had much joy with any of the pale flowered cultivars long term, where as the standard red one is pretty reliable and long lived.  If I took <"these pictures this year">, the red one would have increased and the pale one declined.
> 
> cheers Darrel



Thanks Darrel, the red is certainly a more vigorous plant. It has 7 flower spikes so far whilst the original only has a solitary one. Probably good that I prefer the red.


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## dw1305 (21 Sep 2018)

Hi all,





mort said:


> Thanks Darrel, the red is certainly a more vigorous plant. It has 7 flower spikes so far whilst the original only has a solitary one. Probably good that I prefer the red.


I like the red one best as well.

cheers Darrel


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