Vanilla Stella (Huben 09)

20 E Re 3, NearWhite Self, Dor Dip
(seedling * Early And Often) * (Sunshine On Clouds * Early And Often)

Pronounced "vanELLA stella". My most exciting near-white rebloomer. It's not the whitest, though it's far from cream. It has a nice green throat, a voluptuous bagel form, ruffles, and three sets of scapes per year in my garden! This past year, Vanilla Stella bloomed continuously until frost in November in the Harmon's New Hampshire garden.

Bob Sobek and I are using Vanilla Stella heavily in our breeding: we each have hundreds of seedlings coming from it. It's a very rapid increaser that throws near white seedlings with great green throats. Presumably, it passes its rebloom when crossed appropriately: I'll know for sure next year. It's a great as a pod or pollen parent.


Here's a comparison with Stella De Oro that shows how under some conditions of light and temperature, Vanilla Stella can look more creamy than the catalog photo. Is that pale creaminess a fault? Not if you think pale cream to white is a desirable color in your garden. Vanilla Stella does have one minor fault: in my shady conditions, the scapes can lean. This doesn't seem to happen in sunnier gardens.