Gardening and Landscaping Stack Exchange
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Questions tagged [hybrids]

A specimen produced by crossing two species, sub-species, or cultivars.

Hybrids are specimens produced by crossing two (or more) species, sub-species, or cultivars.

Technically, biology (especially genetics) also recognizes a range of different hybrid types; but horticulture limits the definition to this general meaning.

In nature, a number of plants will readily hybridize (form hybrids). Examples include Sarracenia (trumpet pitcher plants) and Opuntia (prickly pears).

Hybrids may also form naturally between sub-species, and between cultivars. Cultivars are typically produced with a mixture of selective breeding (selection of seed from plants with required traits) and hybridization of plants with the required traits.

Use this tag for all questions about hybrids.

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Does seed from F1 hybrid tomato fruits grow?

Some time ago, I wanted to grow tomatoes by using the seeds from the tomato which I was eating at the moment. I did some research on the internet, but then discovered you could not grow tomatoes from F1 hybrid fruits. When searching information…
Sironsse
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Is it worth paying the extra for F1 hybrid seeds?

These days, the seeds on display in garden centres are usually a mix of F1 hybrids and traditionals. And F1 seeds are invariably priced a quid or a couple of quid extra. My question to expert gardeners is: when is it worth paying the extra money for…
Tea Drinker
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Do opuntia (prickly pear) cacti readily form hybrids in the wild?

I suspect the answer is yes, because they are the most diverse group of cacti. The reason I ask is that we actually have four varieties/species and I'm having a lot of trouble identifying them! The better cacti books that I can find typically only…
winwaed
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Is the Atherton Raspberry known to hybridize with other Rubus species?

Is Rubus probus (the Atherton Raspberry) known to hybridize with other Rubus species? It sounds like it would be pretty awesome in breeding programs.
Brōtsyorfuzthrāx
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Should I avoid hybrid species of native plants for birdscaping?

I'm trying to pick out the best plants to attract birds to my yard, and have become very interested in serviceberry trees for this purpose. Should I avoid the hybrid varieties of this species (such as Amelanchier × grandiflora) in favor of versions…
Empiromancer
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Is there an almond that grows inside a peach?

I see that Luther Burbank wrote a book on the subject around a hundred years ago. But I don't have access to that book. Was he, or anyone else, successful? I thought that I had seen something like that for sale in a catalog long ago, but I can't…
Tim
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Do sterile plants still produce pollen or nectar?

While reading on certain plants, I often read that some of their hybrid varieties are sterile. While it seems clear that the plant will not produce offspring I'm not sure if it still produces pollen which is one of the main component of plant…
Gilles
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Can I preserve plant pollen?

I have an amaryllis plant that is getting ready to bloom, and I know that I won't have enough time to cross pollinate it with a snowdrop so I want to know if it's possible in general to preserve pollen for extended periods of time and if so, for how…
Morella Almånd
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Dill, cilantro, and fennel cross pollinating

I've read several conflicting pieces of information on the growing of dill, cilantro, and fennel near one another. I've read that fennel and dill will grow well together and make good companion plants, however I've also read that they will cross…
tox123
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How do companies produce seeds for hybrid plants?

I understand that if a person uses seed from a hybrid plant that they raised and plant these, that the resulting plant will very likely not be the same as the hybrid. I would like to know how the hybrid plant seeds were produced that we buy at the…
robert hanna
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Is there any way to know what you're getting when you plant seeds collected from hybrid plants?

I collected a whole bunch of broccoli seeds last year. I think they were packman hybrid broccoli. This year my 'broccoli' grew prolifically, but bolted exceptionally quick. I thought I had planted kale instead. But then I remembered the source of…
Peter Turner
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Can I eat a Zucchini pumpkin squash hybrid?

My volunteer "Pumkini" came up in my flower bed and I let it grow. The fruit is large and egg-shaped with a green skin (so far). It is immature. Can I eat it like a zucchini anyone know?
Heidi Fredrick
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Limit of size difference between parents of hybrid plants: Aloaceae

Aloe, Haworthia and Gasteria are three genera which are related closely enough to allow crossing among them. However, I have never encountered a cross between a large genotype (e.g. Aloe Ferox) and a small one (e.g. Haworthia cooperi). By small or…
Christmas Snow
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Hot pepper hybrids: are the seeds of the same fruit the same?

When chilies are cross pollinated amongst different cultivars, it's unclear whether the seeds will be true to the parent generations or something new entirely as I understand it as it depends on if the dominant or recessive genes were expressed. Is…
paneerlovr
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Does the Plant Breeders Rights in CA & US Plant Patent Act inhibit me from using a protected plant for purposes of creating a new hybrid?

This is merely hypothetical; 'Plant A' is a non-protected hybrid plant. 'Plant B' is a protected Hybrid. Can I use the pollen to 'Plant B' to pollinate 'Plant A' to create a new hybrid, 'Plant X', for commercial purposes? or the opposite can I…
GardenGems
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