<i>Carpinus </i>plant named ‘JN Select AA’

Abstract

A new cultivar of Carpinus plant named JN Select AA that is characterized by its foliage that consistently turns pinkish red in color in the fall in southern Wisconsin, its rounded plant habit and dense branching, and its good cold hardiness in southern Wisconsin.

Claims

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Carpinus plant named JN Select AA substantially as herein illustrated and described.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The accompanying photographs depict the unique characteristics of JN Select AA as grown in a trial garden in Menomonee Falls, Wis. The photographs were taken of 9-year-old plants.

(2) FIG. 1 provides a side view of the plant habit and fall foliage of JN Select AA.

(3) The photograph in FIG. 2 provides a close-up view of the fall foliage of JN Select AA.

(4) The photograph in FIG. 3 provides a close-up view of the fruit clusters and bracts of JN Select AA.

(5) The colors in the photographs are as close as possible with the digital photography and printing techniques utilized and the color codes in the detailed botanical description accurately describe the colors of the new Carpinus.

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

(6) The following is a detailed description of 4-year-old plants as grown outdoors in 3-gallon containers in Menomonee Falls, Wis. Phenotypic differences may be observed with variations in environmental, climatic, and cultural conditions. The color determination is in accordance with The 2015 Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England, except where general color terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. General description: Plant type.Deciduous tree. Plant habit.Upright and rounded. Height and spread.A mature plant in the landscape will reach 4 m in height and width. Hardiness.At least in U.S.D.A. Zone 4b to 7a with very little twig die-back observed due to winter in southern Wisconsin. Diseases and pests.No susceptibility or resistance to diseases or pests has been observed to date. Growth rate.Moderate. Propagation.Side-veneer grafting in mid to late July in a poly greenhouse under mist or cleft grafting in February with use of a hot callus pipe. Root development.A side veneer graft is produced in 6 to 8 weeks and 1.5 growing seasons are required to produce a whip 1.2 m in length in a 2-gallon container. Branch description: Trunk size.An average of 1.7 cm cm in diameter measured 30 cm from soil line, 50 cm in length. Branch color.New growth (shoots) and second year growth 165A, mature wood and trunk; primarily 198A with some striations and underlying color of 165A. Branch shape.Rounded. Branch no. and size.Lateral branches (trunks divided into the 2 main branches); an average of 8 mm in diameter (mid stem) and 1.2 m in length, secondary branches; an average of 15 per lateral stem, up to 15 cm in length and 2.5 mm in diameter, small branchlets from tertiary branches; an average of 5 per branch 30 cm in length, up to 12 cm in length and 1.5 mm in width. Branch surface.New growth and one-year old twigs; glabrous, shiny and slightly pubescent, old growth twigs; glabrous, dull and lenticillate, trunk; dull and muscle-like, lenticels; moderate in number, lenticels on all branches and trunk are round in shape, 158A in color, up to 2 mm in diameter, an average of 10 lenticels per square cm. Branch angles.Alternately branched; lateral branch angles held about 20 to vertical and tertiary branches held at about a 45 angle. Leaf buds.An average of 5.5 mm in length and 2 mm in width, conical in shape, imbricate, 144A in color prior to bud break, glossy surface. Leaf bud break.Early May in Wisconsin. Stipules.None present. Foliage description: Leaf shape.Oval-oblong. Leaf division.Simple. Leaf base.Rounded and slightly oblique. Leaf apex.Acute-slightly acuminate. Leaf venation.Pinnate, color; upper surface matches leaf color with very narrow midrib a color between 145B and 162C, lower surface 145C. Leaf margin.Biserrate. Leaf attachment.Petiolate. Leaf arrangement.Alternate. Leaf surface.Glabrous and smooth on upper and lower surfaces, lower surface has pubescence on veins. Leaf size.Up to 6 cm in length and 2.6 cm in width. Leaf internode length.An average of 1.9 cm. Leaf color.Emerging leaves; 172B quickly turning to 144A on upper and lower surface, mature; upper surface 146B and lower surface 146C, fall upper surface; a blend of 52A and 52B with veins and some suffusion of 25C, fall lower surface 163C and 39B. Petioles.An average of 1 cm in length and 1 mm in width, rounded in shape, 145C in color and suffused with 166B on upper surface, surface pubescent. Flower description: Blooming period.Late April to early May in southern Wisconsin. Inflorescence.Monoecious, cylindrical male and female catkins. Catkins.Penduolous and cylindrical in shape, sparse on plant used for data collection; 4 male and 3 female, male; an average of 2.2 cm in length and 4 mm in diameter, scales; average of 18, broadly ovate in shape, an average 3 mm in length and width, apex; cuspidate, base; broadly cuneate, a blend of 145B and 144C in color with tip 175A on both surfaces, surfaces glabrous and pubescent on margins and apex, an average of 10 stamens per bract, stamens 145C in color, 0.5 mm in length on stout very short filament 145C in color, pollen low in quantity and 175A in color, female; an average of 1.1 cm in length and 3 mm in diameter, an average of 5 flowers with single bracts; elliptic in shape, 144A in color, 2 mm in length and 1.5 mm in width, and pubescent on both surfaces, 3 stigmas protruding about 2 mm and 60B in color. Flower fragrance.None. Flower lastingness.Female and male catkins present in spring for about 8 days, male not persistent. Peduncles (Rachis).Female; an average of 9 mm in length and 0.7 mm in diameter, male; 2.2 cm in length and 0.7 mm in diameter, both male and female: 144A in color, pubescent surface, moderately strong. Pedicels.None, sessile. Fruit and seed.Ribbed nutlet borne at the base of 3-lobed bracts and arranged in spike-like clusters, nutlet; average of 8 per cluster, an average of 4.5 mm in length and 3.5 mm in width, a blend of 147A and 146A in color, ovate in shape, seed; 1 per nutlet, 1 mm in length and 1.5 mm in width, 165A in color, fruit clusters; an average of 5 cm in length and 3.5 cm in width, bracts; tri-lobed, apex acute, margins serrate, base rounded, an average of 2 cm in length and 1.2 cm in width, glabrous on both surfaces, 144A in color when first developing and maturing to a blend of 146A, 178A and 178C when mature.