Surprise! Twin Blooms

After years of growing and caring for so many different varieties of roses,  I felt privileged to have seen twin blooms with my very own eyes. The blooms were weird looking but they were nothing but a pretty sight. I took pleasure to have lived in such moments by taking lots of pictures.

The rose tree that I was referring to is my hot orange miniature rose.

What causes a rose bud to split and form twin blooms?

I kept asking myself this question for days. Since I am not a plant botanist, my best attempt is by visiting few relevant websites to uncover the science behind twin blooms. I found out there are few causes to such occurrence:

Random mutation

• A random mutation can occur during bud formation process. Random mutation can be triggered by sudden change of weather; hence the randomness. Effect of fertilizer or change in its dosage can also trigger a mutation.

Genetic mutation

• Some varieties of roses are more prone to genetic mutation as compared to others.

Herbicide / Insecticide effect

• Damage can also occur during bud formation process, caused by herbicide or insecticide. However, I ruled out this possibility as my insecticide spraying routine hasn’t changed since last month. It wasn’t the frequency of spraying or the concentration of the solution either.

Disease spread by mites / insects

• A mutation can be also caused by a disease, spread by mites or insects that causes the plant to produce excessive growth or distortion.

My twin blooms could be a product of a random mutation, caused by sudden change of weather.

My garden has been receiving plenty of rain since early of the month. The downpours usually started at about 2 pm or 3 pm every day when the day’s heat was still at its peak. Last month, the downpours mostly occurred very late in the evening.

Source:
http://rose-gardens.suite101.com/article.cfm/what_is_rose_proliferation
http://www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org/forums/showthread.php?t=14934