<i>Aster </i>plant named ‘Pink Crush’

Abstract

A new and distinct Aster plant named ‘Pink Crush’, with compact, heavily-branched, very rounded mound habit, dark green, lanceolate foliage and large, densely-packed, semi-double inflorescences with numerous, overlapping, rose-pink ray florets with no fading in color beginning in early fall and continuing for up to eight weeks. The new plant is useful for landscaping, as a specimen or en masse and as a cut flower or containers.

Claims

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Aster plant named ‘Pink Crush’ as described and illustrated.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The color drawings illustrate the overall characteristics of Aster ‘Pink Crush’ as a two-year-old plant in a full-sun trial garden in Zeeland, Mich. The colors are as true as reasonably possible given the technology available. The color values may vary slightly depending on light intensity and quality.

(2) FIG. 1 shows the new plant in a trial facility.

(3) FIG. 2 shows a close-up of the inflorescences of the new plant.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

(4) The following description of the new plant is based on a one-year-old plant growing in a full-sun production field in Hamilton, Mich., USA. Except for ordinary dictionary color usage, color references are according to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 edition. Parentage: Female or seed parent 13-1-1; male or pollen parent 13-1-1; Asexual propagation: Basal shoot cuttings, about 10 to 14 days to initiate roots; time to finish as #1 field grown size about 6 months; Plant habit: Herbaceous, winter-hardy, rhizomatous, perennial mound with stiff, upright, heavily-branched stems; up to 29.0 cm tall and 42.0 cm wide; average about 27.0 cm tall and about 40.0 cm across; Leaves: Alternate; simple; lanceolate; acute apex; base truncate, clasping; margin entire, micro-ciliolate; adaxial glabrous and semi-lustrous abaxial micro-puberulent; up to about 5.0 cm long and about 1.6 cm wide; average size about 4.6 cm long and 1.3 cm wide; Leaf color: Young expanding leaves adaxial distally nearest RHS 138A and proximally nearest RHS 145A, abaxial distally nearest RHS 138A and proximally nearest RHS 145A; mature leaves adaxial nearest RHS NN137B, abaxial between RHS 147B and RHS 147C; Foliar fragrance: None noted; Veins: Longitudinal reticulate; glabrous adaxial and puberulent abaxial; Vein color: Adaxial RHS 146B on midrib, secondary nearest RHS NN137B; abaxial midrib and secondary nearest RHS 148C; Petiole: Sessile; Stems: Upright; cylindrical; micro-puberulent; stiff; heavily branched; approximately 10 per plant; to about 26 cm long and 0.5 cm diameter at base; Stem color: Between RHS 138B and RHS 138C; Branches: Cylindrical; micro-puberulent; up to 18 per main stem; in upper one-third and at base; to about 16.0 cm long and 0.3 cm diameter; Branch color: Between RHS 138B and RHS 138C; Inflorescence: Radiate capitulum; semi-double; composite consisting of about 120 to 160 ray florets and about 120 to 150 disk florets; on heavily branched terminal stems; individual inflorescence about 45.0 mm diameter, about 18.0 mm tall from bottom of involucral bracts to top of center disk tepals; disk portion about 10.0 mm across; attitude mostly upright; produced on branched stems with about 200 to 4600 inflorescences per plant and about 40 per stem; Flower season: Starting in early fall and continuing for about eight weeks; Disk color: nearest RHS 192C; Receptacle: About 6.0 mm tall and 8.0 mm across; color nearest RHS 148C; Inflorescence fragrance: Not detected; Phyllaries: About 80 in four whorls; linear; narrowly acute apex; truncate base; margin entire and micro-ciliate; outer or lower set about 13.5 mm long and 2.0 mm across, inner set about 10.0 mm long and 1.5 across; micro-puberulent adaxial and abaxial; held horizontally, not adpressed to ray florets; Phyllary color: Adaxial nearest RHS 137A with strong overtone of nearest RHS 187A, abaxial nearest RHS 146A with a light blush of nearest RHS 187A; Involucre: Oblate; consisting of about 80 strongly overlapping phyllaries or involucral bracts; about 8 mm long and 20 mm wide; Flowering period: Late August for up to eight weeks depending on weather; Inflorescence longevity: 10 to 14 days; Inflorescence buds: With ray florets still erect 19.0 mm tall and 14.0 mm across; round, columnar; Inflorescence bud color: Ray florets while still upright exposed abaxial petal color nearest RHS 72B; phyllaries color nearest RHS 146A with light blush of nearest RHS 187A; Ray florets: Imperfect; pistillate; typically about 120 to 160 per inflorescence; held horizontal to about 30 degrees above horizontal when mature; Style.—Cylindrical; about 7.0 mm long and about 0.2 mm diameter; color nearest RHS 70B. Stigma.—Bifid, cylindrical; 2.0 mm long and 0.2 mm diameter; color nearest RHS N79A. Ovary.—Inverted conical, acute base, truncate apex; about 1.0 mm long and 0.7 mm diameter in middle; color nearest RHS NN155C. Pappus.—About 5.0 mm long; color nearest RHS 159D. Ray floret ligule: Linear with basal claw; glabrous; acute apex; attenuate base; entire margin; flat, not twisted; size 19.0 mm long and 2.0 mm wide; Ligule color.—When first open flat adaxial nearest RHS 72A and abaxial nearest RHS 72B; when mature adaxial nearest RHS 72A and abaxial nearest RHS 72B; base between RHS 145C and NN155D. Disk florets: About 120 to 150 per capitulum; tubular; glabrous; consisting of five tepals, staminal tube and pistil; size about 10.0 mm long to exserted stigma by 1.0 mm wide at apex; angle upright; Corolla tube.—Consisting of five linear fused tepals; about 5.0 mm long and 1.0 mm across at apex; fused in basal 4.5 mm; apex acute; margin entire. Tepal color.—When first open adaxial and abaxial apices nearest RHS 178B, center and basal portion nearest RHS 145D; at maturity adaxial and abaxial apices nearest RHS 178B, center and basal portion nearest RHS 145D. Staminal tube.—Made up of five connate stamens; about 2.0 mm long and 1.0 mm diameter; color between RHS 165B and RHS 165C. Filaments.—About 2.0 mm long and about 0.1 mm diameter; color nearest RHS 155D. Pollen.—Abundant; fine, round, closest to RHS 17B. Style.—Bifid; cylindrical; exserted, longer than staminal tube at maturity; about 8.0 mm long and 0.2 mm diameter; color upon opening nearest RHS NN155C, upon maturity proximally nearest RHS NN155C and distally nearest RHS 185B. Stigma.—Bifid; reflexing as it matures; about 2.0 mm long and 0.2 mm diameter; color nearest RHS 20A maturing to nearest RHS 185B. Ovary.—Ellipsoidal; apex acute, base truncate; 1.0 mm long and 0.7 mm across; color nearest RHS NN155C. Seed: Has not yet been observed;

(5) Aster ‘Pink Crush’ resists lodging and is tolerant temperatures in USDA zones 3 through 8. It is not known to be tolerant of diseases and pest that are common to other Aster cultivars.