Here's what I've found: The first year of planting transplants from seed started in January bloom sky-blue like the pictures from Park. The second year, they bloom purple. Now I don't know if they re-seed and don't come true, (because some websites say it is a biennial in which case you would think it would come true). The leaves are different from the 1st and 2nd year too. The third year - not very many survivors. Only a few volunteer purples.

There is not much info on the web for Heteroppapus. Is it a chrysanthemum like some say? Is it it's own species? I will always enjoy growing them, but I'm curious if anyone has any specific information on them.

it is a named cultivar.. hence the use of the quotes ... as such.. it is not a species ....

many named cultivars are sterile ...

and many ... do not come true from seed ...

and i am thinking.. that you are seeing a combination of both parts.. low fertility ... and fast degeneration of the kids ...

if you do the research.. into the cultivar.. you might find out.. who the parents are.. which plants were crossed.. to achieve the blue .... and it would not be surprising.. to find the purple parent.. or grandparent.. that they are based on ... [not that they would actually be such]

the people.. who developed this flower .. want you to keep buying the seed... that is why they went to all the effort to breed it .... and apparently.. in this case ... they win ... if you insist on the blue ...

sorry i dont have specific experience..

ken

It's not a chrysanthemum but does belong to the same huge family, Asteraceae (Compositae). They are not even particularly closely related, with their different Genera. Blue knoll is called blue chrysanthemum because of their resemblance to mums....I guess. Then again, Heteropappus isn't exactly a catchy name, lol.

I couldn't narrow down whether it's an annual or biennial. I would treat it like an annual, myself.

I have always had a hard time understanding the differences between cultivars, varieties, and being trademarked. I know trademark means the DNA is somehow patented (although never understood why God didn't own all of those outright) and propagation is against the law. How do breeders-hybridizers keep it all straight? If nature starts out with a flower, say a Pigtail Pinker, which comes in pink, dark pink, and light pink then I'm guessing the different colors mean different varieties. But if another flower that is similar shows up in a different area that is shorter, has fuzzy leaves and has purple polkadots on it, then that would be a 'cultivar', right? And if a breeder combines the polkadot one with a dark pink one and it comes out blazing orange and 4 feet tall they say "this is my NEW invention, and I'm going to trademark it", right? I know this is kind of childish with the names, but I'm curious how a commoner like me differentiates between them so we know what we're doing when we place an order from those coveted garden magazines.

Plant patents are entirely different than trademarked names. Even then, the DNA is not under protection. The term "cultivar " means cultivated variety. Not all cultivars come from hybridization.

You can collect all of the seed you want from a patented plant ; you can swap pollen with other patented plants legally. You just cannot make clones....propagate vegetatively.....of patented material. Not even in your backyard just for you.

There's a great deal of easy to digest information about plant patents, trademarks, varieties, cultivars, etc. on the internet. Look for .edu sites. Once you know a little more about plant genetics, you'll have more insight.

By the way, I have not found any indication that Blue Knoll is either patented nor that the name is trademarked.