Producing hybrids offers the opportunity to mix the genes of two or more different plants, combining their desirable traits or creating new characters. Their diverse genetic make-up means hybrids are usually very vigorous plants, often highly floriferous or heavy-cropping, making them important in the vegetable and seed trades.
Term
Description
Examples
Specific hybrids
Plants produced by crossing different species, for example Viburnum farreri and V. grandiflorum. Indicated by an x before the species name. Can occur in the wild but more are common in cultivation.
Viburnum x bodnantense
Generic hybrids
Plants derived from crosses between two or more genera,
such as Heuchera and Tiarella. Indicated by an x before the composite genus name.
such as Heuchera and Tiarella. Indicated by an x before the composite genus name.
x Heucherella ‘Stoplight’
F1 hybrids
Mostly used to refer to annual
and vegetable cultivars produced by crossing two stable seed lines that give rise to uniform progeny.
and vegetable cultivars produced by crossing two stable seed lines that give rise to uniform progeny.
Tomato ‘Cristal’ F1, sunflower ‘Harlequin’ F1
F2 hybrids
Plants grown from F1 hybrids are called F2 hybrids and display
much greater variation than their parents.
much greater variation than their parents.
Pelargonium ‘Speedy’, mixed F2
Seeds harvested from garden plants will not always come true to their parent, particularly if the parent is a hybrid or there is a related plant nearby it could have hybridised with, but can be a valuable means of raising new cultivars.
James Armitage