In many cases some virus mutations can be controlled while others cannot ie:for good plant growth, color, form, odor , hardiness. Many mutations if only from crosses can have an unusual effect and eventually mutate into a new version of a particular plant. Sometimes they become 'spendy' depending on the popularity of the plant or breeder.
Yes of course shell gingers are very lovely, a waxy funnel shape, hold their color and floral substance well once cut for floral displays for a very long time, or even good for submerged under water displays.
Anything lime color is always exciting to have in the garden it lights up any area and draws the eye straight to it. They are ornery in the garden kind of like some black clump bamboo I have a love hate relationship with in my garden for years. Difficult to dig up once established.
I had a mutation in my garden beleive it or not with a wild foxglove lovingly planted yearly by birds from the forest next to us. It had very different flowers and open more like a cup with typical markings on the flower with zero closed throats and odd lime green splotches on the leaves. I saved the seed and hoped it would have a similar mutation for next season. It did for the first year but the second mutated seed collected from the second year never showed any signs of the mutation again, if that makes any sense.I always wondered if it was because foxgloves are biennals and seeds are programmed to behave a certain way in two years. Only grows leaves the first year and flower and leaves the second year and then dies self seeding over and over.
Anyway was very exciting for a couple of years and never had anything like that happen again. Maybe it was a fluke but it will always be a memory when nature caught me totally by surprise! I'll never forget it.
Enjoyed this conversation very much .
My oldest son and his family live near Orlando all the tropicals growing there are especially nice to see when visiting in winters when my garden is asleep, especially in summer everything grows like there on steroids in Florida.
