Dip. ht 38″ dia 9″, br 2, bc 11, semi, Noc, M, UF: quilled crispate
Snortin’ Whiskey is a taut quilled crispate that has been consistent in form since first bloom in 2006. Dan Bachman’s Gail Braunstein provides hardiness, color, and genetics for a great scape, and while you might think Ned’s Pueblo Dancer would contribute a relaxed, cascade attitude to the blooms, the two parents produced this highly unexpected result. Why wait so long to bring this to market? We had planted it on the edge of a densely planted seedling bed bordered by mature Norway spruce. It was there for four years and didn’t increase well, so we moved it in 2011 and planted two divisions to see if they would increase. They did, a lot! Why the low bud count? The first couple of years in its new spot the scapes were adequate at two to 3-way branching with bud counts in the mid to high teens. However, the registered bud count was taken in 2014 from two overgrown clumps. The best scape we recorded in 2014 was 4 x 18, but about half the scapes on those clumps had low bud counts and drove the average count lower. (Moral of the story: divide the clumps.) The lineout row has looked much better over the last two years. The flower shows excellent form and remarkable consistency, and it’s a good parent for passing on cascade and quilling attributes. Initially we recommended it for similar climates or those to the south since Pueblo Dancer has not been hardy for us, however, it is being tested in a garden in North Dakota and two in Minnesota. It is doing well in all three locations. Dbl. $75
