Can you guess what it is?I'll give you a few hints. It was started early this spring from seeds obtained from a swap. Hmmm . . . can't remember for sure if it was Monica's mail swap, or MBT's garden show swap.
I've never seen a variegated form of this plant, and the blooms are normally completely different. Started from seed, it may take up to 3-5 years before it blooms. It would be unusual for this species to bloom the first season. Remember, this seed was started this spring.
Here's an example of another seedling in the packet. All the seeds looked basically the same, with the slight color variations normally seen in these seeds - anything from light brown, to nearly black. (The seed pods are black at maturity.)
Here are more hints: This is a native plant, and the blue-blooming variety was recently (I won't give away which year,) chosen as Perennial Plant of the Year.
Here's more of the plant in question. Initially this seedling had plain foliage just like the others started at the same time from the same seed packet. A few weeks ago a few top leaves suddenly developed the white edges, flower buds formed, and within a few days, the tiny blooms opened.Did you guess what it is? Have you ever tried starting them from seeds? If so have you ever seen variegation and blooms like this before on your seedlings? I wonder what will happen to this plant if I decide to put it in the garden. Will it continue to develop variegated foliage? Will it survive the winter? Will it have these uncharacteristic blooms again next year? Is it a stray seed of some other plant that has the same kind of foliage as what I think it is that snuck into the seed packet, and not really what I think it is? Do I have some kind of unusual sport or hybrid? Perhaps only time will tell.
