I purchased this plant at Lowes, Summer 2000. I didn't even expect it to survive the winter, let alone flower so nicely. It's not supposed to be hardy, because the hybridizer, Elsie Watson, is in Washington! Well, we only had -10F last winter, with lots of snow cover for protection. So I hope that it's actually hardier than the books say it is. I'm glad I bought this one, and I think it's the best purple I have.

The flowers were a lot more blue than this, but they faded a little red. Even so, this photograph shows the flowers even more red than the faded color. When the flowers open up, they are a nice blue-purple. 'Tapestry' is also a good purple, but not nearly so blue.

Parentage: 'Blue Ensign' x 'Purple Splendour'

Hybridizer: Elsie M. Watson.

Introduced:

Registered: Elsie M. Watson, 1981.