- Breeder
- Mike Wang
- First described
- 2024
- Type
- single clone from controlled cross
- Cultivar
- 'AAxA select'
Origin
Selected seedling from Mike's montana × montana cross — Clone AA (the seed parent) crossed with Clone A. The mother plant (AA) was, in Mike's words, "absolutely stunning" and was the subject of an earlier thread (274). Mike lost the AA mother roughly a decade before this 2024 thread but the offspring carry forward the vigor, color, and ability to form massive specimens.
Standout traits
- Vigorous, builds large clumps over time.
- Distinctive folded lids (environmental, but expressed often in this clone).
- Color responds strongly to growing conditions — solid red bodies in some setups, green lids over red bodies in others.
Cultivation notes
Outdoors in Northern California, the fall traps colored up well in 2024. Mike's note: don't be surprised if the same clone looks different in your conditions — montanas are environmentally plastic.
Standout traits
- Color, vigor, and overall looks — sought after in trade.
- Forms massive specimens over time.
- Lid often folded — not always, depends on environment but distinctive in this clone.
- Color-shifts based on environment: solid red versus green-lid/red-body forms reported.
Cultivation
Outdoors in Northern California, fall coloration is excellent. Mike cautions: montanas in general turn different colors based on environmental conditions, so don't expect identical results from the same clone in different setups.
Photos (4)
Naming
"AAxA" = parental designation (Clone AA × Clone A). 'select' = the best-performing offspring from that cross. One of the most popular montanas in Mike's collection.