Patent Grant
PP32817
Botanical designation: Abelia hybrid.
Cultivar denomination ‘00-BC-46-4.’.
The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of the ornamental flowering shrub Abelia hereinafter referred to by the varietal denomination ‘00-BC-46-4’.
The new Abelia ‘00-BC-46-4’ is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the inventors in Griffin, Ga. The objective of the Abelia breeding program is to produce a tough and adaptable drought-tolerant plant with commercial value. This cultivar has significant commercial and home gardener appeal with its attractive foliage, large flower panicles, heavy blooming and low maintenance requirements. These and other qualities are enumerated herein.
Pedigree and History: The new Abelia ‘00-BC-46-4’ originated from a cross in 1998 between Abelia chinensis R. Br. (unpatented, female parent) and Abelia x grandiflora (Andr) Rehd ‘Francis Mason’ (unpatented, male parent). A seedling selection from this cross, 99-54-3, was backcrossed to the original A. chinensis parent in 2000, and ovule culture was performed to obtain seedlings. In September 2001, these seedlings were planted in a field plot in Griffin, Ga. (USDA cold hardiness zone 8a). Selection criteria included flowering and foliage characteristics, plant form and height, cold hardiness and drought tolerance. Plant ‘00-BC-46-4’ was selected for further evaluation and was asexually propagated via shoot cuttings for evaluation in a field plot in Griffin, Ga. in 2004 and in 2006 (6 reps each time, randomized block design), in Blairsville, Ga. (USDA cold hardiness zone 7a) in 2005 (4 reps, randomized block design), and in containers at the Center for Applied Nursery Research in Dearing, Ga. and Griffin, Ga. in 2004 and 2006 (three reps per location, per year).
Clonally propagated plants have been evaluated in Griffin, Ga. for up to 16 years and in Blairsville, Ga. for 14 years. The first measurements were made in March 2004; half of the plants were pruned every two years to a height of 40 to 50 cm, and half were left unpruned. Height and width data were collected in Griffin every two years prior to pruning. First bloom dates were recorded each year. Winter cold and spring frost damage were assessed each spring in Griffin and Blairsville. Date of first bloom was recorded each year. Observation for disease or insect damage was continuous throughout the summer. In all evaluations, Abelia ‘Rose Creek’ (unpatented hybrid from open pollination of Abelia chinensis (female parent) and unknown male parent) was used as a check cultivar; the A. chinensis parent was also used as a check in the Griffin plots. Observations of the resulting ‘00-BC-46-4’ progeny have shown that the unique features of this new Abelia ‘00-BC-46-4’ are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
Abelia is a genus of 15-30 species, and interspecific hybrids are popular landscape plants. They range from deciduous to evergreen, depending upon the cultivar and the climate. They have attractive, colorful foliage and flower from late spring to autumn. Abelia is a low-maintenance shrub that is tolerant of any well-drained soil, has heat and drought tolerance and is resistant to most pests. It thrives in full sun or part shade and can generally be grown in cold hardiness zones 5 through 9. The new Abelia ‘00-BC-46-4’ plant is expected to be distributed for landscape use in the U.S. and perhaps in other countries.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent the unique and distinguishing characteristics of a new variety, Abelia ‘00-BC-46-4’. The new variety ‘00-BC-46-4’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in, for example, temperature, light intensity, soil types, and water and fertility levels without, however, any variance in genotype.
Asexual reproduction of the new Abelia ‘00-BC-46-4’ by softwood stem cuttings since 2004 has shown that the unique features of this new Abelia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
‘00-BC-46-4’ plants, along with ‘Rose Creek’ and A. chinensis (maternal parent of ‘00-BC-46-4’) have been evaluated since 2001 in field plots at Griffin, Ga. and since 2006 in Blairsville, Ga. ‘Rose Creek’ was used as a standard for comparison as it is a popular cultivar that has A. chinensis as a maternal parent. Height and width data were collected in Griffin every two years on unpruned plants and prior to pruning for those pruned every two years. First bloom dates were recorded each year. Winter cold and spring frost damage was assessed each spring in Griffin and Blairsville. Date of first bloom was recorded each year. Observation for disease or insect damage was continuous throughout the summer.
Throughout this specification, color names beginning with a small letter signify that the name of that color, as used in common speech, is aptly descriptive. Color names beginning with a capital letter designate values based upon The R.H.S. Colour Chart, 2001 (5th edition) published by The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England.
The following traits have been consistently observed in the original plant of this new variety and in asexually propagated progeny grown from stem cuttings in Blairsville, and Griffin, Ga., and, to the best knowledge of the inventors, their combination forms the unique characteristics of the new variety ‘00-BC-46-4’ and set it apart from all other existing varieties of Abelia known to the inventors.
Plants of the new Abelia ‘00-BC-46-4’ differ from plants of the Abelia cultivar ‘Rose Creek’ and the parental species Abelia chinensis in the following characteristics.
The accompanying colored photographic illustrations show the overall appearance and distinct characteristics of the new cultivar of Abelia ‘00-BC-46-4.’ The colors in the photographs are as close as possible with the photographic and printing technology utilized. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description, which accurately describes the colors of the new Abelia ‘00-BC-46-4’. The photographs were taken of plants grown outdoors in Georgia on the dates and locations specified below.
The photographs labeled
The photographs labeled
The following traits have been consistently observed in the original plant of this new variety and in asexually propagated progeny grown from stem cuttings in Blairsville, and Griffin, Ga., and, to the best knowledge of the inventors, their combination forms the unique characteristics of the new variety ‘00-BC-46-4’.
Throughout this specification, color names beginning with a small letter signify that the name of that color, as used in common speech, is aptly descriptive. Color names beginning with a capital letter designate values based upon The R.H.S. Colour Chart, 4th edition published by The Royal Horticultural Society (R.H.S.), London, England in 2001.
The following observations, measurements, and values describe plants grown in Griffin, Ga. ‘00-BC-46-4’ was propagated from softwood stem cuttings and grown in one-gallon containers prior to planting in field plots. Data are from plants planted and grown in the field since 2001, 2004 and 2006.
The new variety ‘00-BC-46-4’ is a medium-sized Abelia with bright green foliage and numerous large panicles made up of white flowers with pale green sepals changing to pale pink. The large panicles of ‘00-BC-46-4’ are especially noteworthy because they often become thyrsoid. Peak bloom occurs in mid-July, though the sepals make a stunning display through the end of summer, and the blossoms are highly fragrant. Form is upright and compact. Blooming is heavy, even on young plants in containers or in the field.
Two checks were used for comparison to ‘00-BC-46-4’: A. chinensis and ‘Rose Creek’. Of all available Abelia, the species A. chinensis appears most similar to ‘00-BC-46-4’. No commercial cultivar is similar, though ‘Rose Creek’ also has A. chinensis as a parent. Table 1 compares some morphological characteristics of the checks, ‘Rose Creek’ and A. chinensis to ‘00-BC-46-4’. Individual panicle size is generally larger on A. chinensis and much smaller on ‘Rose Creek’ than on ‘00-BC-46-4’. However, panicles typically group into compound panicles resulting in very large conical thyrse structures on ‘00-BC-46-4’. ‘00-BC-46-4’ has a much more compact appearance than A. chinensis, as the panicles are held close to the plant rather than supported on long stems as is A. chinensis. The mean length of the stems supporting the panicles was 6.9 cm on ‘00-BC-46-4’ versus 20.1 cm on A. chinensis. Panicles on ‘Rose Creek’ are intermediate in length. ‘Rose Creek’ has a very compact form, as is shown by the short internode length (1.2 cm), while A. chinensis has a very loose form (internode length 2.7 cm). ‘00-BC-46-4’ is intermediate to the checks (2.0 cm).
Height and width data are presented in Tables 2 and 3. Half of the ‘00-BC-46-4’ and ‘Rose Creek’ plants were severely pruned every two years beginning in March 2004 to a height of 40 to 50 cm. Plants were measured prior to pruning. Data shown in Table 2 were collected in 2010 and 2017 on plants that had been pruned two years earlier. Results show that in 2010, when plants had been in the field for an average of 5 years, the height of ‘00-BC-46-4’ (86 cm) was similar in height to ‘Rose Creek’ (92 cm), though ‘Rose Creek’ was wider. However, by 2017, when the plants had been in the field for an average of 12 years, ‘Rose Creek’ was shorter than ‘00-BC-46-4’. In Table 3, height and widths are compared for plants that were field planted in 2001 and were pruned every two years. The results after 9 and 16 years of growth reveal that ‘00-BC-46-4’ is intermediate in size to the smaller ‘Rose Creek’ and the larger A. chinensis.
Flower color of ‘00-BC-46-4’, ‘Rose Creek’ and A. chinensis is white. However, sepal color of ‘00-BC-46-4’ starts as green, becoming light pink, and turning brown in late summer and fall, whereas ‘Rose Creek’ has pink/purple sepals (Table 4). Both ‘00-BC-46-4’ and A. chinensis are deciduous, while ‘Rose Creek’ is mostly evergreen. In Griffin, all three cultivars have their first bloom about early to mid-June (Table 5), though peak bloom is generally mid-July for ‘00-BC-46-4’, late July for A. chinensis, and early August for ‘Rose Creek’.
Field evaluations in Griffin since 2001 have shown very little or no cold damage on ‘00-BC-46-4’. Plants of ‘00-BC-46-4’ were evaluated in Blairsville, Ga. for two winters, 2005-06 and 2006-07. Little or no cold damage was observed on ‘00-BC-46-4’ in Blairsville, despite cold temperatures beginning in early November and continuing sporadically throughout the winter (for instance, Nov. 3, 2005 had a low temperature of −2 C, 29 F; Nov. 18, 2005 had a low temperature of −8 C, 17 F; Dec. 9, 2006 had a low temperature of −13 C, 9 F; and Jan. 29 2007 had a low temperature of −13 C, 8 F) and late spring freezes (Apr. 7, 2007 temperature of −6 C, 22 F).
Plants of the Abelia genus tend to drop leaves by late summer in response to heat, drought or overly wet conditions. Evaluation for leaf retention in September 2004 through 2007, following summers with heavy rainfall due to tropical depressions, or heat and drought, revealed that ‘00-BC-46-4’ has excellent leaf retention.
‘00-BC-46-4’ is readily propagated through cuttings. Six-inch cuttings taken in May or early June before flowering rooted at a rate of over 70%. After 2 months, cuttings can be transferred to one-gallon containers using a well-drained potting mix. From cutting to saleable plant is about 8 months. No insect or disease problems have been noted in potted plants maintained outside the greenhouse or in field plants. Once established, the plants are quite drought resistant. After landscape establishment, a hard pruning is recommended in early spring, approximately every other year, to encourage compact growth and heavy blooming.
The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements, and values describe plants of the new Abelia ‘00-BC-46-4’ grown in Griffin, Ga. propagated from softwood stem cuttings and grown in one-gallon containers prior to planting in field plots. Data are from plants planted and grown in the field since 2001, 2004 and 2006.
A. chinensis
A. chinensis
1Length of compound panicles and number of subpanicles was determined by averaging the ten longest compound panicles on a plant of similar age.
A. chinensis
A. chinensis
A. chinensis
