Jacob's Ladder

My regular Jacobs ladder bloomed this year but I cannot find seeds on it? What am I looking for? I just bought a beautiful varigated one and don't want to miss out on getting it's seeds. I want more of them, but not at $12 a quart! Help?

I've never seen seed on mine (also variegated)...however I have gotten three new pups from around the edge of the mother plant. One last year and two more this year.

When the flower heads start to dry, cut them off and put them upside down in a paper bag. When everything is dry you should be able to shake them out. You will also be able to divide your plant.

Terrific, Thanks!

Does anyone know if the variegated varieties come back true from seed, or even have them?

While you guys are on Jacob's Ladder, I saw on a tage for one variety that it was virus resistant or somthing like that. Since I have lost a couple despite plenty of moisture and the advisable bright shade, I wondered if a disease got 'em. Anybody know?

Peter

I don't think the variegated one even produces seeds... and if it does it's doubtful the babies would be variegated like the mother.

I haven't noticed disease on Jacob's ladder before but I've found that plants aren't especially long lived. The peter out for me after a couple of years.

Like I had posted, I've not seen seeds on mine....only pups around the mamma plant. The babies were/are variegated just like Mom.
My origonal plant if now in her third season and going strong.

Variegated foliage in a plant is a genetic mutation of its green-leafed parentage. It is extremely unlikely that seeds produced by one would come true. Propogate your Jacob's Ladder by division or cutting if you want its clone.

Pen

I have divided things before, with some (not always) success, but how do you do cuttings?

Pen, I thought that would be the case, although I have had extremely good luck with Nicandra 'Splash of Cream' coming back true from collected seed, and 'Alaska' nasturtium, as well.

Terre, I've never done a cutting on this type plant, but it looks like you would just cut a lateral stem below a pair of leaf nodes, strip off all but the top couple sets of leaves, and stick it in some vermiculite or potting soil. On the other hand, this plant is known to be invasive, so I would think just a piece of root covered with some soil would start a new plant. Let us know if you try it.

Weezingreens, are those variegated varieties? Well, there's no telling what all goes on in the privacy of one's garden. We've all heard of green thumbs, but you just might have a variegated thumb. ;)

Yes, both are variegated.
http://plantsdatabase.com/go/54684/index.html
http://plantsdatabase.com/go/51753/index.html

I don't think I have a variegated thumb, so perhaps the first offspring variegate and the second don't... I haven't tried that.

I divided my variegated jacob's ladder by digging it up and chopping it into pieces. The base of the plant got woody after a couple of years and it started to look weak. I divided it to save it's life.... and it worked.

That's good to know, Poppysue. I've been admiring the neighbor's variegated jacob's ladder, and waiting for some sort of suckers or volunteers. Maybe I can tempt her to dig it up one of these years!

Weez, I notice on the commercial seed sites that Splash of Cream and Alaska Nasturtium are readily available in seed, so I guess we assume that these are two of the variegated seed exceptions. I'm thinking, too, of Coleus. Many of those variegated forms are available in seed. What I'm wondering is can the growers deliberately cultivate a variegated form that produces seeds, or is this phenomena just luck of the draw. ?? Wish I understood more about all this.

Nicandra generally has a blue flower and green leaves. Splash of cream has the same characteristics, but variegated foliage. There is also a Nicandra alba with white flowers, but has not black dots on its leaves like the blue flowered varieties. How the variegated variety came about is a good question.