I have used my Santa Rosa's as a pollinator for my Satsuma's for 35 years. The pair have worked nicely for me. The plums are both good...albeit very different tasting. Santa Rosa is tart, and Satsuma is very sweet and "fleshy". They are good low-chill fruits.

I have been trying to locate this rose, and more information on it. Yes, your photo is identical to other images I have seen of this rose in its native habitat. I have, however, wondered about the provenance of the specimen growing on the campus of Santa Clara Univ., the parent of Basye's amphidiploid. (I suppose it is climate related, but that specimen appears to throw very long lax canes, while those in Ethiopia appear a bit more stout.) I have been thinking that this under-utilized species could be provide decent genetic material for hybridizers in more arid areas. Having evolved in relative isolation of other species, however, I wonder if it would offer good horizontal resistance to various diseases (as compared to other Synstylae). (On the flip side, I've wondered if, given the obscure origins of R. moschata, if it might be derivative of the Abyssinian rose. It seems plausible that early Italian explorers might have brought fruit or seed home with them.) Dr. Manners, I understand that you had a seedling of the Santa Clara specimen. Has that ever bloomed for you? I have never been able to locate a domestic source for this species.

Hi, Weatherman, I don't plan to patent any of my zinnias. So far, as far as I know, there aren't any patented strains of zinnias, because plant patents apply only to plants that are propagated asexually, There are patents on plants that can be propagated by seeds or asexually, but they don't apply to the seeds. Zinnias aren't normally propagated by cuttings or by tissue culture, although both methods can be done. In past years I have rescued a few choice breeders from an impending killing frost by taking cuttings and growing the cuttings to maturity indoors, but I don't plan to do that this year. I do plan to grow a couple of zinnia generations indoors this Winter, to get an early start on my outdoor zinnias next year. I have a few choice hybrid zinnia seedlings up in pots now, although we still haven't had a killing frost yet here. I expect one before Halloween. I have experimented with tissue culture of zinnias as a plant breeding technique, rather than as a method of commercial propagation. I plan to continue those experiments this Winter. If and when I get some desirable zinnia strains that propagate faithfully from seeds, I might consider releasing them to a seed company for development as a commercial variety. There are a few seed companies that will pick up an amateur-developed strain and develop it for commercial introduction. I might consider that. But my zinnia projects are highly variable at the present time, which is fun for me because I am always seeing new stuff. My hobby is strictly for fun and to "see what zinnias can do." Zinnias can do some weird and amazing stuff. I never really expected it to lead to any commercial results, and I still don't. But I also never really expected to get some of the surprising results that I have gotten, so I don't know. It's hard to know the future, and I don't know where my zinnia projects will lead. But for the time being I am going to concentrate on having fun with my zinnias. Hobbies are meant to be fun. And I am having fun with zinnias. I am totally committed to the hobby for that reason only. ZM

Word to the wise: 'Souvenir de la Malmaison' is a nasty plant to use in breeding; you will get very few seedlings, 95% of which will die from ennui and/or mildew within months of germination. Those that do survive will have severe proneness to Blackspot and those that do survive will tend to have nasty, weedy growth habits and bloom very sparsely. If you cross 'Souvenir de la Malmaison' with a Rugosa, you are likely to get mainly plants that look like Rugosas, but with weak, runty growth habits and most will never flower. This is typical when outcrossing Rugosas to very dissimilar lines of breeding.