Flower Color
Once again we are at the height of the cactus spring flush (bloom period). Again the same questions and comments come to us regarding flower color and another reason that we don’t sell on the Net. So let’s talk a bit about color.
To illustrate my point I am going to use the Echinopsis hybrids as a typical example of what you see and what really is. As most cacti collectors are aware the echinopsis hybrid family of cacti has a very broad spectrum of flower colors.
At the most basic level no two people viewing a flower see the same identical color. The reason is simple – the color receptors in every person’s eyes are slightly different.
Then to add to the confusion, in today’s world, digital cameras do not record color the same way. The pixels in each brand of camera that record an image are different. The flower images are then transferred to a second party via the Internet. Again each Internet provider may not use the same protocol to transfer the image. This may or may not have an effect on the image color. When the image arrives at your computer/cell phone chances are that that piece of equipment you are using is not calibrated to match my equipment. The resulting image color may or may not match what I think I have sent. This is just the tip of the iceberg.
Many other things can and do affect the color of the flower that your plant produces. To name a few, soil or planting media, fertilizer or plant nutrients that you may or may not use, water and the minerals/chemicals that it may contain and last but not least the environment where you grow your plant. Are you growing your plant in a greenhouse, outside in full sun or shade, in the ground or in a container?
In some cases the age of a plant will also have an effect on the flower color. For example echinopsis seedlings will often produce their first flower when they are two years old. When this happens keep in mind that the plant may not be mature and that the second year the plant flowers it may be just a little different or possibly a significantly different color and possibly the flower petals may be a different size and shape.
Enjoy your plants. The flowers are a beautiful and often colorful bonus!
Harvey
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