I had a couple of fans I planted in separate places a couple of years ago. I got them to honor Chadwick Boseman when he died.
I was mean to them and put them in very shady areas. They survived but gave/give very few blooms. And no real increase of fans (unsurprisingly).
One got moved last fall to a newer spot, still shady but less-so. It has taken off this year and made me a few scapes, and new fans. Blooms are spot-on. Height is pretty near, but in the shade a bit short of ideal conditions.
Bloom colors can be a wine-red color, which is a bit "meh". But then some days out pops a dark one (colder days?).
Photo examples below.
Winos:
Dark and sexy:
As a pod parent it aborts quite a lot of pods. As a pollen parent it seems better.
There are some crosses it "likes" and will make lots of pods of. But it does not seem to "like" many partners in my (shaded) hands.
I can only dream of how well it would do under ideal conditions, with a bit more sunlight. But I will probably never know. Seedlings get the best spots in my yard (you can always buy cultivars again, but seedlings are unique and deserve more attention).
