They aren't slowing me down. ;)

If I understand you correctly, you're miffed that B of B does not supply propagation information for its patented varieties, and you think that's slowing down gardeners, but without the ability to make money from patented varieties such firms wouldn't release them in the first place, and then where would you be (likely reading up on and planting non-hybrid Eryngiums that might do even better for you at a fraction of the price)?

I'm sure B of B has gotten their money's worth from you and you could try contacting them for more information (good luck).

In general, it's probably not a good idea to splurge on any new plant introduction until you (and others) have had a season or two to evaluate it - unless you've got the dough and the energy to replant failures.

Eric,
I am not necessarily miffed, just disappointed at the lack of information patented varieties provide. For example some likely suspects of possible Eryngium ÂBig Blue lineage might be E. tripartitum, E. giganteum, or E. Jos Eijking, all of which have varied cultural needs ranging from dry to moist soil and E. giganteum is considered a short lived perennial. I have considered until the recent trend in patenting plants horticulture to be one of the more open and sharing fields from the home gardener who takes delight in sharing information about their garden to anyone who will listen to arboretums, universities, nurserymen, ect. To me the patenting trend and lack of sharing plant information seems to moving horticulture in a backwards direction.

Hi Runktrun, I think the truth is that they don't supply much info because they just don't know it themselves. A lot of things are rushed to market without sufficient testing. Remember that coreopsis of a few years back that everyone bought as a perennial--and it wasn't? A lot of unhappy campers.

I have a truly catastrophic example of this. About thirty years ago, I planted a Magnolia 'Merrill', developed at the Arnold Arboretum and supposed to be a small tree like one of its parents, Magnolia stellata. Guess what? It is huge and getting huger. A magnificent specimen with thousands of fragrant white flowers in early spring but I have to take it down (sounds of weeping). It is threatening my septic system, neighbor's driveway and more.

Do I blame the AA? No--but I wish I'd known this tree could take after Daddy instead of Mommy. It takes a long time before anyone really knows what a new hybrid will do, perennial or tree.

It's actually pretty easy (for most plants) to look up the patent-application information on-line, which typically includes the parentage.

Ultimately the purpose of patenting is to control the commercial production of a plant -- I don't think it prevents at all, home gardeners from doing what they will.

Did you figure out how to propagate it? I don't think it'll be easy. I bet they use tissue culture to propagate these. I hope they return after winter for you.

Here's some info from their patent...

"The new Eryngium plant originated from a chance open-pollination in Preston, Lancashire, United Kingdom of an unnamed selection of Eryngium zabelii , not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Eryngium zabelii as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Eryngium was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled outdoor nursery environment in Preston, Lancashire, United Kingdom in June, 1997.

Asexual reproduction of the new Eryngium plant by cuttings in a controlled environment in Preston, Lancashire, United Kingdom since February, 1998, has shown that the unique features of this new Eryngium plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations."

I would treat this like Eryngium zabelii as far as propagation goes. It doesn't sound like it's a hybrid. They also mention that they propagate it by cuttings.

Oops..I found out something else.

"Eryngium Ãzabelli (Apiaceae family) is a group of hybrids between E. alpinum and E. bourgatii named in 1926."

How confusing.

This genus in general, at least in my experience, is one of the more difficult of the perennials to propagate. Armitage recommends, "separating the plantlets produced at the base of the mother plant is the easiest...".

ginny, maniac, and cool guy,
Thanks for the responses that I must say took me by surprise. I had no idea that there is a plant patent data base on line and if Eryngium 'Big Blue' is actually Eryngium zabelii 'Big Blue' why the deep dark secret? Why not include that info on the tag or web site? Now I have never heard of Erynguim zabelii but E. alpinum and E. bourgati have several named selections. I will have to do a little homework and get back to you with what I find.
I think cool guy is probably right about Eryngium being one of the more difficult plants to propagate so if I really want a large planting of E. 'Big Blue' (and it is a beauty) I'm going to have to loosen my purse strings and take pride in stimulating the economy.
Ginny, sorry to hear about your Magnolia 'Merrill' but just think of the potential empty landscape that must be filled!! I am a Magnolia nut myself and three years ago I bought a 6 inch high Magnolia macrophylla and a 6 inch high Magnolia tripetala and planted them not far from one another under the same cultural conditions and the Magnolia macrophylla is eight feet tall with multiple branches and the Magnolia tripetala (umbrella leaf) is still six inches tall with three leaves.
Thanks again, Katy