U.S. patent number PP33,665 [Application Number 17/300,042] was granted by the patent office on 2021-11-23 for buddleia plant named `princess pink`.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Walters Gardens Inc. The grantee listed for this patent is Hans A Hansen. Invention is credited to Hans A Hansen.
United States Patent |
PP33,665 |
Hansen |
November 23, 2021 |
Buddleia plant named `Princess Pink`
Abstract
The new and distinct plant of Buddleia `Princess Pink` is a
rounded-mounded, multi-stemmed, winter-hardy butterfly bush with
very long, mostly horizontal, thyrse producing sweetly fragrant
flowers over a long season beginning mid-summer. Flowers have large
petals of purplish-pink that are attractively offset by dark green
foliage with silvery undersides. The new plant is valuable for
attracting butterflies in the garden, landscaping en masse, as an
accent or as a potted specimen.
Inventors: |
Hansen; Hans A (Zeeland,
MI) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Hansen; Hans A |
Zeeland |
MI |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Walters Gardens Inc (Zeeland,
MI)
|
Appl.
No.: |
17/300,042 |
Filed: |
February 23, 2021 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
PLT/242 |
Current International
Class: |
A01H
5/02 (20180101); A01H 6/00 (20180101) |
Field of
Search: |
;PLT/242 |
Other References
Hardy Plugs SWI-50 retrieved on May 4, 2021, retrieved from the
Internet at http://hardyplugs.com/SWI-50.htm, 2 pp. (Year: 2020).
cited by examiner.
|
Primary Examiner: Hwu; June
Claims
It is claimed:
1. A new cultivar of winter-hardy butterfly bush plant named
Buddleia `Princess Pink` as herein illustrated and described.
Description
Botanical classification: Buddleia davidii.
Variety denomination: `Princess Pink`.
STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES UNDER 37 CFR 1.77(b)(6)
The first non-enabling disclosure of the claimed plant, in the form
of a photograph and brief description was on a website operated by
Walters Gardens, Inc. on Feb. 1, 2020. Buddleia `Princess Pink` was
listed with a photograph and brief description in the "Walters
Gardens 20-21 Catalog" distributed initially on May 20, 2020. The
claimed plant was first sold on Jul. 23, 2020 by Walters Gardens,
Inc., who obtained the plant and all information relating thereto,
from the inventor. No plants of Buddleia `Princess Pink` have been
sold in this country or anywhere in the world, nor has any
disclosure of the new plant been made, more than one year prior to
the filing date of this application, and such sale or disclosure
within one year was either derived directly or indirectly from the
inventor.
BACKGROUND OF THE PLANT
The present invention relates to the new and distinct butterfly
bush plant of the Scrophulariaceae family, Buddleia `Princess Pink`
developed by the inventor on Aug. 15, 2015 as a single seedling
selection from a self-pollination of the unreleased proprietary
hybrid 14-38-6 (not patented) as the female or seed parent and male
or pollen parent at a wholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland,
Mich., USA. The new plant, was assigned the breeder code 15-57-103
through the evaluation trials. The new cultivar was discovered and
selected as single individual flowering plant within the progeny of
the above stated controlled self-pollination.
No plants of Buddleia `Princess Pink` have been sold, under this or
any other name, in this country or anywhere in the world, prior to
the filing of this application, nor has any disclosure of the new
plant been made prior to the filing of this application with the
exception of that which may have been sold or disclosed within one
year of the filing date of this application and was either derived
directly or indirectly from the inventor.
Buddleia `Princess Pink` was first asexually propagated from a
single select plant in 2016 by stem cuttings at the same nursery in
Zeeland, Mich. The resultant asexually propagated plants have been
found to be stable and true to type in successive generations of
asexual reproduction.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Plants of the new Buddleia have not been observed under all
possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat
with variations in environment and cultural practices such as
temperature, light intensity, available moisture and fertility
without, however, any variance in genotype.
In comparison to the new plant the female parent has lavender
flowers that are more upright and the plant habit is more
arching.
The nearest comparison plants known to the inventor are Buddleia
`Prince Charming` U.S. Plant Pat. No. 28,903, `Pink Cascade` U.S.
Plant Pat. No. 30,711, `Pink Micro Chip` U.S. Plant Pat. No.
26,547, `Pink Delight`(not patented) and `Attraction` (not
patented).
`Prince Charming` has a more compact habit and the thyrse are
shorter and more upright, and the flowers are more cerise-pink.
`Pink Cascade` has a longer and more drooping thyrse, and the
flower petal color is a medium pink. `Pink Micro Chip` has a much
smaller habit, the flowers are sterile and do not produce stamens,
and the flower color is more reddish-purple. `Pink Delight` has a
much larger habit, the thyrse are more upright and not as dense
with flowers, and the flower color is a slightly different hue.
`Pink Attraction` has a taller habit and a more mauve-pink flower
color.
The proprietary hybrid 14-38-6 parent was not maintained as a plant
or in photography, so no further comparison is possible.
Buddleia `Princess Pink` is a unique winter-hardy butterfly bush
different from all other Buddleia cultivars known to the inventor
based on the following combined repeatedly observed distinguishing
traits: 1. Winter-hardy butterfly bush shrub, with
multiple-stemmed, well-branched, round, mounded habit; 2. Large,
broad, many-flowered, elongated and mostly horizontal thyrse
flowering over a prolonged season beginning mid-summer; 3. Flowers
with apple-blossom pink petals; 4. Lanceolate foliage of dark green
with silvery undersides.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The photographs of the new plant demonstrate the overall appearance
of the plant, including the unique traits. The colors are as
accurate as reasonably possible with color reproductions. Ambient
light spectrum, source and direction may cause the appearance of
minor variation in color.
FIG. 1 shows the habit of a three-year-old plant in mid-season
flowering.
FIG. 2 shows a close-up of the inflorescence.
DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION
The following descriptions and color references are based on the
2015 edition of The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except
where common dictionary terms are used. The new plant, Buddleia
`Princess Pink`, has not been observed under all possible
environments. The phenotype may vary slightly with different
environmental conditions, such as temperature, light, fertility,
moisture and maturity levels, but without any change in the
genotype. The following observations and size descriptions are of
three-year-old plants in the loamy-sand, open-sun, field trials of
a nursery in Zeeland, Mich. with supplemental fertilizer and water
as needed. The plants are natural habit and were not treated with
plant growth regulators, nor were they pinched at any time in the
growth year except to cut back woody stems to about 15 cm tall in
early spring. Parentage: Unreleased proprietary hybrid 14-38-6 (not
patented) as the female or seed patent and the male or pollen
parent; Propagation: Method.--Softwood shoot cuttings. Time to
initiate roots from tissue culture.--About two weeks. Rooting
habit.--Normal, dense and branching, developing thick at base to
about 1.5 cm diameter. Root color.--Creamy white between RHS 159A
and lighter than RHS 159 D depending on soil type. Crop
time.--Under normal summer growing conditions 12 to 15 weeks to
flower in a four-liter container from cutting. Plant vigor is very
good. Plant description: Plant shape and habit.--Winter-hardy,
herbaceous to semi-woody, well-branched shrub with about 5 thick
upright and branched main stems producing a rounded mound, to about
110 cm tall and about 150 cm wide. Stem.--Terete and woody in lower
portion, with exfoliating bark; younger distal portion tomentose to
tomentulose; strong, mostly horizontal inflorescent with flower and
bud production; average about 108 cm tall from soil line to just
below terminal flowers, and about 30.0 mm diameter at the base;
about five stems per plant, about 12 branches per main stem before
distal flowers in upper 10 nodes, extending at about 45.degree.
angle from main stem. Stem color.--Young distal portion just below
flowers between RHS 146B and RHS 146C; basal 15 cm between RHS 200C
and RHS 165B with striations between RHS 200A and RHS N199B.
Internode.--About 22 nodes per main stem below terminal thyrse,
average internode length about 6.5 cm on unpinched plant, shorter
proximally and longer distally. Foliage description: Opposite;
lanceolate; decussate; serrate to serrulate margin with about five
teeth per cm, teeth about 1.0 mm long and 2.0 mm wide; young
expanding leaves puberulent abaxial and adaxial, becoming glabrous
adaxial; attenuate base and narrowly acute apex; sessile; moderate
bulging between veins; no foliar fragrance detected; Leaf blade
size.--Up to about 10.0 cm long and about 2.8 cm wide, average
about 7.0 cm long and about 2.2 cm wide; becoming smaller in distal
portion of stem. Foliage color.--Young expanding leaf adaxial
nearest RHS 138A, young expanding abaxial nearest RHS 191B; mature
leaves adaxial RHS NN137A, mature abaxial nearest RHS 191D.
Veins.--Reticulate; adaxial glabrous, slightly impressed; abaxial
costate, puberulent. Vein color.--Abaxial midrib between RHS 146D
and RHS 145A and secondary veins nearest RHS NN137A; adaxial midrib
between RHS 145D and RHS 145C and secondary veins nearest RHS 146A.
Petioles.--Leaves sessile. Inflorescence.--Densely-flowered,
conical, glomerate thyrse consisting of about 2,000 to 4,000
self-cleaning salverform flowers; main center thyrse to about 28.0
cm long and about 8.0 cm across, average about 24.0 cm long and 7.0
cm across; irregularly branched, sub-opposite, with up to about 50
branches, average 40 branches per thyrse; branches to about 6.5 cm
long and 5.5 cm wide with up to 280 flowers per branch; beginning
in mid-July and continuing until frost in Michigan. Inflorescence
attitude.--Slightly drooping, arching downwardly. Flower
buds.--Clavate with long tube base, apex rounded; one day prior to
opening about 13.0 mm long, about 2.0 mm diameter in club, tube
about 1.0 mm diameter and about 9.5 mm long. Flower bud
color.--Nearest RHS 72C in club portion, basal one-third of tube
portion nearest RHS NN155B, distal two-thirds of tube nearest RHS
181B. Sepals.--Typically four, proximal two-thirds connate,
adpressed to corolla tube; acute apex; glabrous adaxial and
pubescent abaxial; margin entire; fused in about the basal 1.5 mm
and split in about the terminal 1.0 mm; forming a corolla about 2.5
mm long and about 1.0 mm across; individually less than about 1.0
mm wide at point of fusion. Sepal color.--Adaxial and abaxial both
variable, nearest RHS 138A and nearest RHS 187A in more sun.
Flowers.--Salverform; with straight terete tube about 10.0 mm long
and 1.0 mm diameter, and a abruptly applanate face about 9.0 mm
across; attitude outward from thyrse center; with corolla lobes
perpendicular to corolla tube. Flowers fragrance.--Pleasantly and
distinctly sweet. Petals.--Typically four; glabrous abaxial and on
adaxial blades and tube, puberulent center adaxial tube about 4.0
mm long between face and base of anthers; blade rounded with
crenulate margin; apex rounded; blade to about 3.5 mm across and
about 4.0 mm long from fused face; corolla lobes free and not
imbricate. Petal color.--Adaxial face nearest RHS N74C upon
opening, when fully open for at least a day and before dehiscing
nearest RHS N74D; abaxial face when opening nearest RHS N74C, when
fully open for at least a day and before dehiscing nearest RHS 73D;
adaxial tube upon opening nearest N172B near face, base nearest RHS
145D and center nearest 172B, when fully open for at least a day
until just before dropping base nearest RHS 155A, near face nearest
RHS 25A and center portion nearest RHS N167B; abaxial tube upon
opening base nearest RHS 145B, center portion nearest RHS 185D and
near face nearest RHS 182A, when fully open for at least a day
until just prior dehiscing base nearest RHS NN155C, center portion
and distally between RHS 179B and RHS 179C. Gynoecium.--Pistil:
single; about 5.0 mm long. Style: short, round, glabrous; about 1.8
mm long and about 0.2 mm diameter; color nearest RHS 145D. Stigma:
oblong ellipsoidal with acute apex; minutely puberulent; about 0.5
mm in diameter and about 1.3 mm long; color nearest RHS 145B.
Ovary: superior; ellipsoidal with rounded apex and rounded base;
about 0.7 mm across and 1.8 mm tall; color nearest RHS 145A.
Androecium.--Typically four. Filaments: adnate to inner corolla
tube for 6.0 mm; about 0.2 mm diameter; color variable between RHS
NN155C at base and center portion and distally between RHS 179B and
RHS 179C. Anthers: typically four; oblong; introrse; basifixed;
longitudinal; about 1.2 mm long and 0.5 mm wide; color nearest RHS
18D. Pollen: globose, less than 0.1 mm long; color nearest RHS
158A. Pedicel.--Short, puberulent, cylindrical; about 1.0 mm long
and about 0.5 mm diameter; color nearest RHS 187A.
Peduncle.--Quadrangular in lower portion and more cylindrical in
distal-most branching; puberulent; flexible and strong; to about
56.0 cm long total, and about 3.0 mm across at base below flowers.
Peduncle color.--Proximally nearest RHS 146D, distally becoming
variable between RHS 187A and RHS 146C. Fruit.--Moderate fruit set;
oblong with acute apex; glabrous, bi-valved, septicidal capsule;
about 6.0 mm long and about 2.0 mm diameter. Fruit color.--As
maturing nearest RHS 138B when mature and dehiscing between RHS
N199C and RHS 165B. Seed.--Elongated ellipse with sharply acute
ends; about 3.0 mm long and about 0.1 mm diameter in center. Seed
color.--In center RHS N199B, ends between RHS 199D and RHS 161D.
Disease resistance: The new plant is not susceptible to deer
browsing. Other pest and disease resistance beyond that common to
butterfly bush cultivars has not been observed. The plant grows
best with plenty of moisture and adequate drainage, but is able to
tolerate some drought when mature. Hardiness at least from USDA
zone 6 through 10, crown and root hardy to at least zone 5b.
* * * * *
References