<i>Astilbe </i>plant named ‘Sunny Day’

Abstract

A new and distinct cultivar of Astilbe plant named Sunny Day, characterized by its compact, broadly upright and mounding plant habit; vigorous growth habit; dense and bushy appearance; dark green-colored leaves; freely and uniformly flowering habit; red purple-colored flowers on strong, tall and upright peduncles; and good container and garden performance.

Claims

1. A new and distinct Astilbe plant named Sunny Day as illustrated and described.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

(1) The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Astilbe plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Astilbe plant.

(2) The photograph on the first sheet (FIG. 1 of 2) is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of Sunny Day grown in a container.

(3) The photograph on the second sheet (FIG. 2 of 2) is a close-up view of typical inflorescences of Sunny Day.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

(4) The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the summer in 19-cm containers in an outdoor nursery in Heemskerk, The Netherlands and under cultural practices typical of commercial Astilbe production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 20 C. to 40 C. and night temperatures ranged from 8 C. to 24 C. Plants were one year old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Botanical classification: Astilbe arendsii Sunny Day. Parentage: Female, or seed, parent.Unidentified Astilbe arendsii seedling selection, not patented. Male, or pollen, parent.Unidentified Astilbe arendsii seedling selection, not patented. Propagation: Type.By vegetative divisions. Time to initiate roots.About three weeks at temperatures about 20 C. Root description.Thick, fleshy; typically brown in color, actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate composition, water quality, fertilizer type and formulation. Rooting habit.Freely branching; dense. Plant description: Plant form and growth habit.Herbaceous perennial; compact, broadly upright and mounding plant form with inflorescences held above the foliar plane; flowering stems and leaves basal; freely flowering with numerous basal branches developing per plant, dense and bushy; vigorous growth habit; and freely and uniformly flowering habit. Growth rate.Moderately rapid; from divisions, about three months are required to produce fully-grown flowering plants in containers. Plant height (soil level to top of foliar plane).About 36 cm. Plant height (soil level to top of inflorescences).About 54.9 cm. Plant width (spread).About 57 cm. Stem description.Length: About 27.5 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Internode length: About 8.4 cm. Strength: Strong. Aspect: Erect to about 15 from vertical. Texture and luster: Sparsely pubescent; slightly glossy. Color, developing: Close to 143C. Color, developed: Close to 144A. Leaf description: Arrangement.Alternate; biternately compound; on average, about 25 leaflets per leaf. Leaf length (excluding petiole).About 17.4 cm. Leaf width.About 17.3 cm. Terminal leaflet length.About 7.2 cm. Terminal leaflet width.About 2.8 cm. Lateral leaflet length.About 4.6 cm. Lateral leaflet width.About 1.5 cm. Leaf shape, in outline.Broadly ovate to broadly deltoid. Leaflet shape.Elliptic. Leaflet apex.Acuminate to apiculate. Leaflet base.Attenuate to narrowly obtuse. Leaflet margin.Biserrate. Leaflet texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces.Sparsely pubescent; slightly glossy. Leaflet venation pattern.Pinnate. Leaflet color.Developing leaflets, upper surface: Close to 143A. Developing leaflets, lower surface: Close to between NN137A and 147A. Fully expanded leaflets, upper surface: Close to between NN137A and 147A; venation, close to 146D. Fully expanded leaflets, lower surface: Close to between 146A and 147B; venation, close to 153C. Leaf petiole length.About 17.7 cm. Leaf petiole diameter.About 2 mm. Leaf and leaflet petiole strength.Strong. Leaf and leaflet petiole texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces.Sparsely pubescent; moderately glossy. Leaf and leaflet petiole color, upper and lower surfaces.Close to 144A; tinged with close to 177D at the base; at the nodes, close to 180A. Flower description: Flower type and flowering habit.Single rotate flowers arranged on terminal compound panicles; flowers face upright, outward or downward depending on position on the inflorescence; panicles conical in shape; freely and uniformly flowering habit with about 2,000 flowers developing per inflorescence and about 30,000 flowers developing per plant during the flowering season. Fragrance.Strong; sweet and pleasant. Natural flowering season.Plants begin flowering about 13 weeks after planting; continuously flowering from late spring until late summer in The Netherlands. Postproduction longevity.Flowers last about ten days on the plant; flowers not persistent. Flower buds.Height: About 3 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Shape: Broadly elliptic. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Color: Sepals, close to 146C and petals, close to 60A. Inflorescence height.About 24.1 cm. Inflorescence diameter.About 10.2 cm. Flower diameter.About 1 cm. Flower depth.About 4 mm. Petals.Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single whorl. Length: About 5 mm. Width: About 0.75 mm. Shape: Oblanceolate. Apex: Obtuse. Base: Narrowly cuneate. Margin: Entire; not undulate. Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Color: Developing petals, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 60C. Fully expanded petals, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 60C; with development, color becoming closer to 60C to 60D. Sepals.Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single whorl, lower 20% fused towards the base forming a campanulate-shaped calyx. Length: About 1.5 mm. Width: About 1 mm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Bluntly acute. Base: Cuneate, fused. Margin: Entire. Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Color: Developing sepals, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 145D; at the margins, close to 59D. Fully expanded sepals, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 157D; at the margins, close to 59D; colors do not change with development. Peduncles.Length: About 23.7 cm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm. Angle: Mostly erect. Strength: Strong. Texture and luster: Moderately to densely pubescent; slightly glossy. Color: Close to 146C. Pedicels.Length: About 2 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm. Angle: About 40 from peduncle axis. Strength: Moderately strong. Texture and luster: Moderately pubescent; matte. Color: Close to 186B to 186C. Reproductive organs.Stamens: Quantity per flower: Typically ten; anthers basifixed. Filament length: About 2.5 mm. Filament color: Close to 60B. Anther shape: Broadly ovate. Anther length: About 0.5 mm. Anther diameter: About 0.25 mm. Anther color: Close to 63C. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 156D. Pistils: Quantity per flower: Two. Pistil length: About 1.25 mm. Stigma diameter: About 0.1 mm. Stigma shape: Club-shaped. Stigma color: Close to 60C. Style length: About 1 mm. Style color: Close to 60D. Ovary color: Close to 60D. Seeds and fruits.To date, seed and fruit development have not been observed on plants of the new Astilbe. Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Astilbe have not been noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Astilbe plants. Garden performance: Plants of the new Astilbe have been observed to have good garden performance and tolerate rain, wind, temperatures ranging from about 25 to 35 C. and to be suitable for USDA Hardiness Zones 5 through 10.