Something to look forward to this summer. I will be seeing many blooms for the first time. This is one of 3 seedling areas I have set aside in my smallish yard, each in a different stage of progress. Most of these are trumpets with maybe a couple of OTs. The stalks in the center background are actually a bunch of Scheherazade from scale bulblets.
How fun! Can't wait to see them. :)
Well done!
Speaking of Scheherazade from scales, what do you think of this----
There was a discussion on the daylily forum of some hybridizers now patenting their daylilies.
I see B&D has lily Madame Butterfly listed as PAF (patent applied for). I think that's sad, that it won't be able to be propagated, unless you are licensed to do so.
I bet irises are next.
I don't like this trend, and wonder what others think. What are your thoughts pardilinum?
I don't think there is any rush, at least by American hybridrizers, to patent lilies or irises. I believe it is a costly and time consuming process. Instead, they price their introductions high, gradually reducing the price each year but always introducing new ones. Amazingly there seems to be plenty of people willing to pay these high prices! I really don't think irises will ever be patented-- the long-time big growers/hybridizers turned their back on this long ago.
As for daylilies, as long as people are willing to pay $100+ for a daylily fan, the hybridizers may want to protect themselves with a patent to control what I would call windfall profits by those who would tissue culture and sell the plants at perhaps a lower price. Makes sense to me. Personally, I view this daylily craze much like tulipomania of the seventeenth century...
What you said makes sense. I appreciate your input. I'm asking as I find this very interesting.
But then what do you think is the reason B&D are patenting Madame Butterfly? Is it really that unique? It's a henryi hybrid, and it certainly is beautiful. But what makes it so special that out of all the lilies B&D introduced they chose this one to patent. Or maybe they are just testing the waters as far as patents go.
I seriously doubt if B&D is patenting this lily. My bet is that they got it from someone else who has applied for a patent. To the best of my knowledge B&D grows lilies, not creates them. But they ARE letting you the buyer know that a patent has been applied for, just like all those fancy perennials like Yoder mums and upscale heucheras.
I can't find any information on the origins of Madame Butterfly. It apparently wasn't registered with the RHS. If you are really interested you might GOOGLE "Mak-Leek" to see an example of where a patent might originate and how the lily gets into commerce with the hybridizer (in this case "Mak-Leek") never selling a bulb retail.
Royalties are paid on some Canadian lilium. The Lily Nook and other Canaadian bulb suppliers pay a royalty to some hybridizers. When we (Manitoba Regional Lily Society) buy bulbs for one of our sales, we pay a royalty on about 4 or 5 bulbs that we want.
It is not illegal to scale any of those lilies for your own personal use or to give to friends and neighbours. Probably because it can't be stopped, anyway.
I seem to remember a few years ago that some ?petunias I think it was, were sold in nurseries here with a label that said patent applied for, do not propagate - or something of the sort.
Inanda -
Inanda,
We have plenty of patented plants here. Some of the big wholesale companies like Walters Gardens and Spring Meadows routinely patent just about every new plant they develop.
I had purchased a flat of Black Jack sedum last fall to pot up for sales. This spring it was pushing out of the gallon pots I had put it in, and I had no choice but to put it in bigger pots. Bigger pots don't sell so well, but I could not divide. I became interested in looking at plant patents then, and saw they were starting to do it with daylilies.
Both your comments are very interesting. Thanks.
And Pardilinum, I never paid attention before to the developers of the lilies. Looking up Mak-Leek, I saw the names of a lot of the developers. I saw Van Der Salm, who I purchase bulbs from developed quite a few. Thanks for telling me about Mak-Leek.
Thank you both for your input!
Polly
