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mutantplantlover

Witch's Broom on Witch's Broom?

mutantplantlover
14 years ago

Enjoy all the nice pix.

Has a witch's broom ever appeared on a witch's broom? I know that the ultimate size of most brooms is severely reduced. But a broom on a broom should, theoretically, be ridiculously reduced. Has this every happened?

Comments (22)

  • sluice
    14 years ago

    There is a great thread on mini mugos, where Coniferjoy posted a pic of one.

    Here is a link that might be useful: mini mugos

  • coniferjoy
    14 years ago

    This is the one sluice mentioned
    A witches'broom on Pinus uncinata 'Nova'
    {{gwi:689674}}

    Another witches'broom found on a witches'broom is Picea omorika 'Minimax' which was found on a Picea omorika 'Nana'.
    Picea omorika 'Minimax'

  • mutantplantlover
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Incredible! Thanks everyone. I suspected it was possible, so it's nice to see the proof that it can happen, though apparently rarely.

  • bluespruce53
    14 years ago

    Not as rare as you may think.

  • coniferjoy
    14 years ago

    Ok Bluespruce,
    If you say that these are not so rare, can you name 5 others?

  • bluespruce53
    14 years ago

    Just for starters.
    Picea abies 'Parsonii WB'
    Picea abies 'Gregoryana WB'
    Picea abies 'CeJay's Gem'
    Picea glauca/mariana 'Blue Planet'
    Picea glauca 'Spring Surprise' - WB from 'Daisy's White', which in turn is a sport from albertiana Conica - if this counts ?

  • coniferjoy
    14 years ago

    Picea abies 'ParsonSii W.B.':
    The true name is Picea abies 'Gregoryana Parsonsii' which is not a witches'broom but a seedling.
    This makes that the 'Parsonsii W.B.' is not a witches'broom from a witches'broom.

    Picea abies 'Gregoryana W.B.':
    Picea abies 'Gregoryana' is not a witches'broom but a seedling.
    This makes that the 'Gregoryana W.B.' is not a witches'broom from a witches'broom.

    Picea abies 'Cejay's Gem'
    This is a witches'broom found on a Picea abies 'Pygmaea' which is not a witches'broom but a seedling.
    This makes that the 'Cejay's Gem' is not a witches'broom from a witches'broom.

    Picea glauca/mariana 'Blue Planet'
    The motherplant of this broom is a Picea mariana clone.
    Bob Finchham told me a copple of years ago that this plant is the true Picea mariana 'Nana', which arose as a seedling.
    This makes that the 'Blue Planet' is not a witches'broom from a witches'broom.

    Picea glauca 'Spring Surprise':
    Indeed, the motherplant of this witches'broom ('Daisy's White)arose as a mutation on Picea glauca var. albertiana 'Conica' but was not a witches'broom.
    This doesn't count, so also this isn't a witches'broom from a witches'broom.

    Unfortunately non of these are witches'brooms found on a witches'broom.
    If you know some others, I'm very interested to know because I can't find no others as the one's I mentioned.
    I hope you can, I want to learn every day when it comes to conifers! ;0)

  • bobfincham
    14 years ago

    Picea omorika 'Minima' also developed as a broom on 'Nana'.

    Picea abies 'Nidiformis' is a witches' broom and two witches' brooms on it are 'Little Gem' and 'Nidiformis Kalous', an illegitimate name.

    Picea omorika 'Peve Tujn' is a sport from 'Nana' which grows slower than 'Nana', due to a lack of chlorophyll. It might beconsidered a broom since the growth is more congested and it is a mutation.

    Picea abies 'Dumpy' is from 'Pygmaea' and depending upon the source of 'Pygmaea' (the cushion-shaped form), it might also fit this category.

    Bob

  • bluespruce53
    14 years ago

    Ok Edwin, I might have been a bit previous in assuming that all the above mentioned were from witches' brooms, but nowhere can I find any information to substantiate your claim that they all arose from seedlings, and I have sourced most of the authoritative works including, Dallimore & Jackson, Hornibrook and Welch.
    Picea abies 'Parsonii' - accepted listed name. no reference anywhere as to its origin, either from a broom or seedling.
    Picea abies 'Gregoryana' - no reference anywhere as to its origin, either from a broom or seedling.
    Picea abies 'Pygmaea'- The true form is possibly 200 years old and definitely nothing to say how this plant arose, either from a broom or seedling.
    Picea mariana 'Nana'- The origin of the plant is unknown.

    So Edwin, perhaps I can't really claim that the plants I mentioned are witches' brooms from witches' brooms, then again you can't claim with any certainty that they are not :0)

  • coniferjoy
    14 years ago

    Bob,
    Picea omorika 'Minima' is the same as the 'Minimax' I mentioned.
    This plant was found in 1979 by J. zu Jeddeloh from Oldenburg, Germany.
    The first name given to this plant was 'Minima' but later on changed in 'Minimax' because it was found after 1959.

    Picea abies 'Nidiformis':
    I can't found no info that this one is a witches'broom, only that it's found before 1904 in the Rulemann Grisson Nursery, Sasselheide near Hamburg, Germany.
    So there's a very big chanche that this one is found as a seedling and the 'Little Gem' and the 'Nana Kalous' or not a witches'broom from a witches'broom.

    The Picea omorika 'Pevé Tijn' is indeed a yellow mutation of Picea omorika 'Nana' and because of it's colour it will grow slower but this will not say it's a witches'broom.

    Picea abies 'Dumpy':
    This is just like the 'CeJay's Gem' a witches'broom found on the 'Pygmaea' from which is no information that this one is a witches'broom so there's a very big chanche that this one arose as a seedling.

    BUT I can give you another true witches'broom from a witches'broom:
    Picea glauca var. albertiana 'Tiny's Mini'
    This one was found by Tiny Linssen from Holland on a Picea glauca var. albertiana 'Alberta Globe' which is a witches'broom found on a Picea glauca var. albertiana 'Conica'.

  • clement_2006
    14 years ago

    Very, very,very intersting !
    Clément

  • toucanjoe
    14 years ago

    What is this a cowchip throwing contest. Joe

  • bluespruce53
    14 years ago

    Edwin - Here is a broom on a broom, and a lot closer to home than you may think!
    Pinus sylvestris 'Longmoor' & witches'broom

    Also a plant of the broom in my garden.
    {{gwi:710032}}

  • coniferjoy
    14 years ago

    Hi Stephen,

    Yes, you are right, It's Pinus sylvestris 'Zoelen', first named 'Ronald W.B.'
    I have also one at my collection.
    This picture is taken last winter.

    Pinus mugo 'Zoelen'

  • coniferjoy
    14 years ago

    Another one crossed my mind today:
    Cryptomeria japonica 'Little Sonja'
    This is a witches'broom found by Sonja Horstmann in a 'Little Champion' in the garden of Wiel Linssen, Holland.

    I also found such a witches'broom last Winter at my nursery.
    {{gwi:710035}}

  • billb
    14 years ago

    Is Pinus mugo 'Mops' a broom? If so, it throws brooms all the time. I know of dozen's that have originated directly from this parent.

    Bill

  • bluespruce53
    14 years ago

    Bill, probably a seedling selection from var. mughus.

  • billb
    14 years ago

    Thanks Steve. I always wondered about that. I do have a broom from 'Mops' called Pinus mugo 'Dave's Choice'. It was found by Dave Horst at the Bickelhaupt Arboretum in Iowa. The original broom has now died. This spring I noticed that I have a broom on my 'Dave's Choice'. It's pretty small but I may be able to try to graft it this winter.

    So basically that is a broom on a broom. I have seen others in the past so I do know that they happen.

    Bill

  • coniferjoy
    14 years ago

    You are right Bill,
    If your 'Dave's Choice' do have a broom then you have a witches'broom on a witches'broom :0)
    Do you have a picture for us of this rare happening?

  • bluespruce53
    14 years ago

    Yes Bill, would like to see a pic if you have one ?

  • affliction-acs
    14 years ago

    Bill, Davey would love hear about that.
    I'm fairly certainly there are also a couple unnamed brooms from Thuja occidentalis one being a broom off Danica.

    Hasn't Joe Stupka passed on some brooms of brooms in one of the ACS meetings Bill? As I recall, Tsuga

    Darren

  • billb
    14 years ago

    I'll see if I can get a photo. It doesn't show up that well but maybe I can get something. Joe has all kinds of weird stuff so I would imagine he has something. I do know he has some pretty cool Tsuga brooms.

    Darren, Are you planning to come to the Regional meeting?

    Bill