The photo index is on the list that appears on the left hand side of the home page, but I have it bookmarked so I usually avoid the home page altogether unless I want to see "What's New". If you're looking for a picture of a specific cultivar or species then it's much easier to use the regular photo index, since you can just scroll down the list and you don't have to guess what page it might be on. But if you're trying to ID something you don't know the name of, being able to see the thumbnails really helps to speed it up. I also just figured out that if you google the database rather than going to it via the home page, you can get a usable URL for the results that can be posted here. For example: Here is a link that might be useful: all Neos with the word

I have a seedling "Imperial Impressions x Jackie Kennedy Onasis that set seeds very late for me this year. I also used it's pollen and it worked for that, too. I had a terrible year for setting seed because of the heat and I let my pollen ruin by not keeping it cold when I tried to keep it from week to week. Lesson learned!!! I'll be up before the birds next year and I'll freeze pollen for later use. I used "Forrest Lake Ragamuffin" pollen on the above seedling and it set very well. I also used "Arctic Lace" and "Wild Irish" pollen on several other seedlings that set pods. "Lavender Fantasia" set many pods and a seedling "Star of India x Lavender Fantasia" set several pods. I'm also excited about one pod on the "II x JKO" seedling. I used the pollen from a seedling that I bought 2 years ago: "Bass Gibson x Golden Tenticles". The blooms from the BG x GT seedling is kinda like so many others, yellow with small teeth, but I hope that it's prodigy will look a lot better. I use Mr. Lucky pollen on several reds and oranges and it worked as usual. I'm promising myself that I will get these seeds planted, soon. I got a lot of pods from a Dip seedling "Javenese Jewel x Fancy Face" crossed with several of my dip spiders and one called "Plum Perfect". I'm going to go see if I have pictures. Great thread. Blessings Mona

Many cultivars are simply natural variations that have been chosen because someone liked the variations better - ie. bigger flower, smaller plant, disease resistance, unusual color, etc. This selection IS the native species - pure as the driven snow. The selection is then named and propagated. Sometimes the variation carries through to it's seed descentdents. (White flowered forms are frequently like this.) Sometimes it doesnt and then the variation must be maintained by asexual propagation like cuttings or divisions of the original plant. The results are still pure native species. There is only one concern in planting that named selection, and that is a narrowing of the genetic database. For example, one author I know recommends Acer rubrum Red Sunset as being the best selection for our growing area. However, in the interests of genetic variety, he plants some of the other selections also. All of the above ONLY applies to naturally occuring variations. If a hortorculturalist made several selections based on, say, larger flowers, and then crossed those plants with each other other and continued to make selections and breed for flower size, the result of this breeding program is still PURE native species, genetically. But, but, but I might not call it native anymore. The form and grace of the wild plant may have been lost. Other traits may have been so neglected in the breeding program that it cannot survive in the wild (double flowers are frequently sterile). But genetically, it is still a native plant as long as no other species was introduced in the breeding program. The monarda selections are an interesting question - apparently SOME of the cultivars are not straight species. However, others are - they have been selected for disease resistance as well as color. I think disease resistance is an excellent quality, So I fudge. I include my monarda cvs on my native plant list, but they have an asterisk.

Thank you both; apparently a difficult one to name. I'm thinking of a cultivar of Gasteria brachyphylla, but unsure. Rina, the same soil as ever, but a lot more shade and very little watering. My Gasteria's are always a bit - what is the word? - skinny; I place them in a severe diet. Like them better that way and I think (but not sure about that) they flower earlier/faster. greets Harry