SHOP PRODUCTS
Houzz Logo Print
christie_sw_mo

Reverted Phlox paniculata �Peppermint Twist�

christie_sw_mo
12 years ago

Shopping at a nursery in early June, a group of p. Peppermint Twists caught my eye and one other pot of phlox that had solid pink blooms that was also pretty. I asked a worker about the solid one because the tag in it said Peppermint Twist and she said it had reverted. I stood back and looked at the table of phlox then in a fit of rebellion, bought the reverted one. lol (full price)

I just really liked the color, a beautiful dark pink with sort of a coral tint. No regrets so far. It's been blooming for weeks.

I found on the web that Peppermint Twist is a sport of Candy Floss but when I looked up pictures of Candy Floss, it looked like more of a purplish pink.


When a plant reverts, is it always the same color? I wonder if it was something else and just had the wrong tag. What are your Peppermint Twists doing?

Comments (8)

  • terrene
    12 years ago

    I'm not sure what she means by "revert". What I think might have happened, is that the original Peppermint Twist plant died out and one of its seedlings took its place. A couple of my cultivars of Phlox paniculata have died out over time, because they lack vigor, but they've produced a seedling or 2. The seedlings are usually pink in color.

    Somebody else might have a better idea.

  • gardenlou
    12 years ago

    I have had Peppermint Twist for four years. Last year and now again this year, there are both colours on the plant - the pink and white and the pinky-coral. They are definitely on the same plant not a separate seedling. How? I don't know but it makes for conversation :)

  • christie_sw_mo
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Not sure how a sport can revert but I think they do. I read somewhere that Peppermint Twist is sterile but it looks like mine has a few seed pods forming. Does yours make any seeds Gardenlou?
    My white phlox 'David' has made lots of babies and they're nearly all the same common pinkish purple color. Still pretty though.

  • remy_gw
    12 years ago

    Sports can revert. So that is a possibility. It could also be another cultivar that got mix in with the shipment. It would not be a seedling though unless that pot was there for a long time. A seedling is not going to fill up a pot and be blooming size that quickly.
    I did go look a photos of Candy Floss. I saw quite a mix of color variations, but many photos when I look at flowers are off. Some do show a true dark pink and the description is pink. So you probably do have a reversion to Candy Floss.
    Remy

    Here is a link that might be useful: Photos of it that are pink.

  • rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a)
    12 years ago

    It is my understanding that Peppermint Twist is a much more compact ie a shorter Phlox.

    I put these in mid May and by the end of the first week of July they began to bloom. Some people might consider them a bit....gimicky but they are definitely a conversation piece.

    {{gwi:251932}}

  • adona6ct
    12 years ago

    I've had phlox paniculata 'Peppermint Twist' for three years. I started with three plants. One didn't overwinter. Of the two that overwintered, one is a combination of the original pink and white swirl and the coral-tinged pink that Christy described (all on the same plant), and the remaining plant is all pink now. I have to admit that I love the plain coral-tinged pink as much, if not more, than the original pink and white swirl pattern.

    I was at a local nursery earlier this summer and saw the same thing that Christy described - a dozen or so pots of 'Peppermint Twist' - and several were blooming in plain pink. I don't believe this is an issue with a seedling reverting.

  • wieslaw59
    12 years ago

    Revert is not a correct term here. Revert means go to a previous state. Mutation would be a better word here, as it can go both ways: back and to something new. Happens a lot in chrysanthemums. I have a yellow chrysanthemum Nantyderry Sunshine which itself is a sport(mutation) of Bronze Elegance(brown). Some shoots mutated to pink, making it identical to Mei-kyo.
    The typical reaction from the readers of such posts is a 'seedling-in-the-pot-version', as if the poster of the question is a child or something. Mutations and reversions actually happen.

  • remy_gw
    12 years ago

    If 'Peppermint Twist' returns to its original state which would be 'Candy Floss', reversion would be the proper term. Some mutations/sports have a tendency to not be completely stable and do revert back to their original state. This is often seen with variegated plants. You need to cull out the original non-variegated part because it will over take the sport and you will be left with nothing but the original version. 'Peppermint Twist' being a variegated flower sport could easily be doing that.
    Now some sports being genetically unstable will throw off more new sports as with the chrysanthemum example above (I've seen this with roses also) that are not like the original cultivar. Then the term reversion would not be proper.
    Remy
    Remy

0