A newbie question about seed collecting
I have some Helichrysum I'm hoping to get some seed from. But before I do I would apprechiate some answers 
If I collect seed from a red flower one will the seeds collected produce red flowers? Secondly, if its a short Helichrysum will the plant produced from seed be about the same height?
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It depends on whether you are growing all red short helichrysum. If you only grow short red H, and the seed is NOT an F1,it will probably breed true. If it is F1 seed, the next generation will be a mixture of the characteristics of the grandparent (parents of the F1) if you are growing a mixture, and the flowers are open pollinated eg by bees, you could get anything.
If you grew only short red ones, you would more than likely get short red ones from seed collected from them, but there's always a chance of getting something taller or a different colour. However, if you grew more than one type, the chances are they will have cross-pollinated and all bets are off, with the seeds likely to produce a range of heights and colours.
They were part of this mix http://www.homebase.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=110&storeId=10151&partNumber=013385
Some grew to 90cm, whilst some were about 60cm. The red one was next to others of similar size, and another of 90cm.
So with what you've told me they could be any size and colour ^^
Alrighty I'll collect the seeds and hope for the best
Edit: And ofc thank you for the replies all!
If you just want the red ones of a particular height you can improve your chances by culling the ones that are obviously going to be wrong before they open and get pollinated. I'm sure you'd be able to see the colour before they opened.
In the sticks near Peterborough
Sometimes its the not knowing quite what you are going to get that is the exciting bit. I grow a few types of Aquillegia and over the years some spectacular colours and forms have turned up.
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border