Apr 22, 2018

Mendelian Magic


Why you may not look like your Brother or Sister



I’m too old to debate anyone on anything, especially something as sensitive as genetics, though my beliefs exceed the tensile strength of tungsten.

Genetics is a wonderful thing. Genes, gametes, Chromosomes, and all that jazz. Hybridization, natural or contrived.

Each year I collect and germinate seed from several hundred plants and this includes our many barberries. Seed from berberis thunbergii ‘Orange Rocket’. collected in 2016 germinated and grew well in 2017.  This year, as they leafed out, I could not help but notice obvious differences. Same seed parent, but at least four with obvious colour differences.