Professor Chien-Young Chu introduces (together with business partner Shen-An Yang) a new 3-in-1 kalanchoe, that changes colour during flowering – photo: newPlantsandFlowers
Kalanchoe is one of the species professor Chien-Young Chu at Department of Horticulture of the National Chung-Hsing University in Taichung (Taiwan) has been working with for a long time. His collection includes about hundred species and varieties. In all that time he has not been looking for again another Kalanchoe bossfeldiana. He sees much more challenges in interspecific breeding of Kalanchoe. “In no way we can compete with the big multinationals that introduce one new variety or series after the other. Our strength is to utilize all the breeding knowledge and technology that are gathered in our department. If we really want to add something substantial to the current Kalanchoe assortment, we have to develop completely new plants. Something nobody has seen yet”, says Chu and continues with a big smile with: “We have to make the impossible possible.”
Breeding on heat tolerance
At the Department of Horticulture Kalanchoe bossfeldiana is also hybridized with K. garambiensis. This yellow species is indigenous in the southern part of Taiwan, which has a tropical climate. The indigenous Kalanchoe is therefore very heat tolerant. Chu selected his seedlings exactly on that heat tolerance. The selections he made, also show a good ramification, without any pinching. For two single-flowered and four double-flowered varieties Plant Breeders Rights are applied. When he compares his pink double Kalanchoe ‘Peach Fairy’ with the current bossfeldiana assortment, he notices that the petals of his creations are much shinier than the traditional varieties. His business partner Shen-An Yang arleady grows several of these new varieties commercially.
Chu retires at the end of this year. He invited Guus Wijchman from newPlantsandFlowers to vitis his ‘secret garden’ in Taichung. The Kalanchoe breeding program the National Chung-Hsing University is one of the many topics in the interview Wijchman had with him.
Chu is unlocking the ‘secret garden’ – photo: newPlantsand- Flowers
Kalanchoe species collection in Chung-Hsing University – photo: newPlantsand- Flowers
Interspecific crossing of Kalanchoe luciae with Kalanchoe garambiensis that bears fruit – photo: newPlantsand- Flowers
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Kalanchoe ‘Pearl’ (dwarf and free branching plant with pure white flowers) – photo: newPlantsand- Flowers