Susan.... When this picture was taken, outside temps were in the low 90 degrees. And it appears that the sepals here look diamond dusted something that I hadn't noticed until I looked at this picture again. However, in looking at later pictures of 'Eyed Alligator', I don't see any diamond dusting on the bloom, and the hybridizer doesn't mention it in his description of the plant. So I would say no, it is not diamond-dusted. However, extreme heat definitely produces larger edges and an abundance of teeth which I saw on 'Eyed Alligator' in July but not in August with the cooler nights. In a warmer growing zone such as Virginia, where you live, you might see diamond dusting more prevalent on the sepals, as well as more defined teeth. I must also add that this is the first year in my garden for 'Eyed Alligator'. Until it is more a established plant, I can only comment on what I see now. And what I see, it is a well bred, very showy, lovely bloom, well worth the dollars spent on purchasing it. This one is a keeper.
