<i>Phlox </i>plant named ‘Crater Lake’

Abstract

A unique cultivar of Hybrid Creeping Phlox named ‘Crater Lake’ characterized by vigorous, dense, spreading, multi-stemmed, winter-hardy habit with short, bright green, linear to awl-shaped leaves. Flowering begins in late-April and continuing for up to six weeks, in cooler weather conditions, on heavily-branched peduncles and completely cover the plant in peak season. Petals of newly opened flowers are cool indigo-purple with a small notch and the tips of the petals. The new plant is able to withstand dry conditions once established, and the foliage stays clean and resists mildew. The new plant is especially suitable for the landscape as a potted plant and in the garden as a specimen or en masse. 1. Vigorous plants of dense, slowly-spreading habit, spreading by rooting stems, producing short, clean, glabrous, bright-green, narrow leaves; 2. Multiple heavily-branched stems produce branched panicles; 3. Flower beginning in late-April and continuing for up to six weeks, in cool conditions, completely covering plant at peak flowering; 4. Flowers of cool indigo-purple and with small notches at the tip of the petals; 5. Plant is able to withstand dry conditions once established.

Claims

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Hybrid Creeping Phlox, Phlox plant named ‘Crater Lake’, as herein described and illustrated.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The photographs of the new plant demonstrate the unique traits of Phlox ‘Crater Lake’ and the overall appearance of the plant at three-years-old growing in a full-sun trial beds in Zeeland, Mich. The colors are as accurate as reasonably possible with color reproductions. Variation in ambient light spectrum, source and direction may cause the appearance of minor variation in color.

(2) FIG. 1 shows a landscape habit view of the new plant in peak flower.

(3) FIG. 2 shows a close-up of the flowers and buds.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

(4) 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. Phlox ‘Crater Lake’ has not been observed under all possible environments. The phenotype may vary slightly with different growing environments such as temperature, light, fertility, soil pH, moisture and maturity levels, but without any change in the genotype. The following observations and size descriptions are based on three-year-old plants in the full-sun trial garden of a wholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich. with supplemental fertilizer and water as needed. Botanical classification: Phlox hybrid; Parentage: Female or seed parent is Phlox subulata ‘Purple Beauty’, male or pollen parent is Phlox kelseyi ‘Lemhi Purple’; Plant habit: Winter-hardy, evergreen herbaceous perennial; short, dense, producing about 60 to 80 stiff, highly-branched prostrate stems; foliage to 13.5 cm tall and 70.0 cm wide, average 13.0 cm tall and 66.0 cm wide; flowering to 13.0 cm tall and 74.0 cm wide; Propagation: Stem cuttings; rooting in about 3 weeks; Time to produce finished crop in 3.8 liter pots: About 8 to 12 weeks; moderately vigorous; Root: Fibrous and freely branching; color creamy white to tan depending on soil type; Leaves: Simple; opposite proximally, whorled distally; linear to subulate; apex narrowly acute to mucronulate; base truncate, clasping; margin entire and micro-ciliolate; glabrous and matte both adaxial and abaxial; about 20.0 mm long by about 2.0 mm wide at base, average about 16.0 mm long and 2.0 mm wide; Leaf color: Adaxial expanding and mature nearest RHS 137B, abaxial both expanding and mature nearest RHS 138A; Foliage fragrance: None detected; Veins: Pinnate; not conspicuous adaxial and abaxial; Vein color: Same color as surround leaf; Petiole: Leaves sessile; Stems: Cylindrical; flexible; wiry; prostrate; highly branching; to about 15.0 cm long and 1.0 mm diameter near base; Stem color: Color nearest RHS NN155A when exposed; Nodes: Proximally about 3.0 mm apart; distally less than 1.0 mm apart; Node color: Color between RHS NN155A and RHS 196D; Inflorescence: Upright to outwardly; about 2.5 cm long and 3.0 cm wide; average of 3 flowers; Flowers: Perfect; salverform; mostly flat faced; about 21.0 mm across face and 16.0 mm long; with fused corolla tube about 14.0 mm long and 2.5 mm diameter near face; attitude upright to outwardly; Flower longevity: About 5 days on plant; self-cleaning; Flower fragrance: Not detected; Buds one to two days prior to opening: Narrowly oblanceolate, to narrowly clavate; bluntly acute apex with rounded base; petals implicate; about 18.0 mm long, 7.0 mm long in terminal bulb portion and 11.0 mm long in tube; corolla tube to 2.0 mm diameter, bulb to 3.5 mm diameter; Bud color: Exposed petal bulb portion nearest RHS 85C; ring between tube and bulb nearest RHS N92A, corolla tube basal 2.0 mm nearest RHS 145C and distal tube nearest RHS 86C; calyx nearest RHS 147B with slight blush in high light exposure of nearest RHS N187A; Petals: Five; obtuse; consisting of limb and basal claw fused into corolla tube; apex rounded, crenulate and shallowly emarginate, cleft to about 0.5 mm deep; limbs not imbricate; margin entire; glabrous adaxial and abaxial; Petal size: Limb about 9.5 mm long and 8.0 mm wide near middle; tube about 14.0 mm long and 2.0 mm diameter; Petal color upon opening: Adaxial.—Limb nearest RHS N81C with two faint splashed dots near eye about 0.5 mm long and wide nearest RHS 93A; proximal 4.0 mm of tube nearest RHS 145C, remaining distal tube portion nearest RHS 85B. Abaxial.—Limb between RHS N82C and RHS N82D, proximal 1.0 mm of tube nearest RHS 145B, next proximal 2.0 mm nearest RHS 150D, remaining distal tube portion nearest RHS 86D. Petal color upon maturity: Adaxial.—Limb between RHS N81C and RHS N81A with a ring near center between RHS N155A and RHS NN155D, proximal 4.0 mm of tube nearest RHS 145C, remaining distal tube portion nearest RHS 85B. Abaxial.—Limb between RHS N82C and RHS N82D, proximal 1.0 mm of tube nearest RHS 145B, next proximal 2.0 mm nearest RHS 150D, remaining distal tube portion nearest RHS 86D. Androecium.—Typically five. Filaments: Typically five, adnate to inner corolla to various heights about 8.0 mm to 13.5 mm from base; free in the distal 1.0 mm to 2.0 mm long and 0.2 mm in diameter; color nearest RHS NN155D; Anther: Five; oblong elliptic; dorsifixed; oblong, about 2.0 mm long by 0.7 mm wide; color nearest RHS 17A; Pollen: Nearly microscopic; color nearest RHS 23A; Gynoecium: One pistil per flower; 12.0 mm long; Style: Cylindrical; about 9.0 mm long and 0.3 mm diameter when flower is mature; persistent after flower abscission; color nearest RHS 1D; Stigma: Trifid in proximal 1.5 mm long, about 0.3 mm diameter; color nearest RHS 4C; Ovary: Inferior; conical; glabrous; acute apex and truncate base; about 1.5 mm long and 1.0 mm diameter; color nearest RHS 143A; Calyx: Campanulate; pubescent abaxial, glabrous adaxial; about 10.0 mm long and 3.5 mm across at apex; Sepals: Five; lanceolate; glabrous adaxial and puberulent abaxial; narrowly acute apex, fused in basal 5.0 mm; margin entire; matte abaxial, and lustrous adaxial; individually about 10.0 mm long and 1.0 mm wide at fusion; Sepal color: Adaxial nearest RHS 137B, fused margins nearest RHS 196D; abaxial nearest RHS 147B with light blush in high light exposure of nearest RHS N187A; Peduncle: Glabrous; strong, flexible; mostly upright; cylindrical; to about 1.5 mm diameter at base and 2.5 cm long; Peduncle color: Low light or ventrally nearest RHS 146C; high light or ventrally nearest RHS 146C; Pedicle: Cylindrical; glabrous; flexible; upright to outwardly; variable lengths from about 8.0 mm to 13.0 mm long and 0.7 mm diameter; Pedicle color: Variable depending on light exposure; with low light or ventrally nearest RHS N148D; high light or dorsally nearest RHS 146C with strongly maculate nearest RHS 187A; Fruit and seeds: Not observed; Hardiness and culture: The new plant grows best with full sun, light moisture and deep drainage; hardy to at least from USDA zone 4 through 8. Disease and pest resistance: Phlox ‘Crater Lake’ demonstrates excellent powdery mildew resistance under conditions that would normally show symptoms.