Rose City Schoolhouse Clones and Hybrids

Rose City is a small town near Vidor, TX. Two similar Crinum scabrum-like plants were found growing around the schoolhouse. They are fertile, accept pollen from each other and set seed. 

The two plants are presumed to be pass-along C. scabrum plants, or chance garden hybrids from C. scabrum and another unknown parent. Marcelle has observed that the Rose City Schoolhouse clones have cream-colored pollen, and could be a cross with Crinum americanum 'Robustum.' The two clones were named:Rose City Schoolhouse 1, and Rose City Schoolhouse 2.

Rose City Schoolhouse No. 1

Rose City Schoolhouse No. 2

Over the years Marcelle has crossed the two plants with each other. However, the first cross was the best; 10 seedlings were obtained. Eight of the seedlings had dark (red) keels (tepal stripes), whereas 2 of the seedlings had pink keels. 

In addition to providing good color and substance for seedlings, these two clones improve the seed set of other Crinum. Their pollen encourages other C. scabrum-type clones to set seed more readily than they are normally so inclined. Additionally, the pollen from these two clones encourages seed set on C. bulbispermum 'Jumbo'-type plants and on C. macowanii. In contrast, C. macowanii pollen has not produced seeds on the Rose City Schoolhouse clones. 

Marcelle selected several seedlings for growing out further. Some of the better ones are: 

'Margie Brown'

'Rose City Star'

'Rose City King'

'Ruth Dubuisson'

The breeding program continues and these photos show some of the possibilities. 

Recurved Seedling

Unnamed Seedling No. 1