<i>Heuchera </i>plant named ‘Dark Night’

Abstract

A new and distinct Heuchera plant characterized by black to dark purple colored leaves, lightly lobed and ruffled leaves, small, purplish pink flowers on medium tall spikes, good sun tolerance, a medium, low mounding habit with excellent crown count, and excellent vigor.

Claims

1. A new and distinct Heuchera plant as herein illustrated and described.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows a nine-month-old plant of Heuchera Dark Night growing in a one-gallon pot in a temperature controlled greenhouse in February in Canby, Oreg.

(2) FIG. 2 shows a one-year-old plant of Heuchera Dark Night growing in the trial bed in part sun in late April in Canby, Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

(3) The following is a detailed description of the new Heuchera cultivar based on observations taken in September of an eight-month-old specimen growing in a one-gallon pot in partial shade in Canby, Oreg. Canby is Zone 8 on the USDA Hardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95 F. in August to an average of 32 F. in January. Normal rainfall in Canby is 42.8 inches per year. The color descriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 5.sup.th edition, 2007. Plant: Form.Basal rosette, herbaceous perennial. Hardiness.USDA Zone 4 to 9. Size.14 cm tall from top of the foliage to the ground, 33 cm from ground to top of flowers, 32 cm wide. Number of crowns.About 15. Habit.Medium small, low mound. Vigor.Excellent. Leaf: Type.Simple. Arrangement.Rosette. Shape.Widely depressed ovate. Number.About 50. Blade size.Grows to 9 cm long and 9.5 cm wide. Venation.Palmate. Lobing/Division.Palmately lobed with 5 main lobes with secondary lobes. Undulation.Weak. Glossiness.Medium. Margins.Crenate and undulate. Apex.Mucronulate. Base.Cordate. Surface texture.Glandular-puberulent on both sides. Leaf rugosity.Medium. Petiole description.Grows to 11 cm long and 3 mm wide, glandular hairs, Greyed Purple N186C. Leaf color.Topside between Greyed Purple N186C and Greyed Purple N186A including veins, bottom side between Greyed Purple N187A and Greyed Purple 187B. Inflorescence: Size.Grows to 7 cm wide and 16 cm long. Type.Upright thyrse. Number of flowers per thyrse.About 60. Flower density.Moderate to light. Number of thyrse.Up to 40. Peduncle.Grows to 20 cm long and 3 mm wide at base, glandular hairs, between Black 203A and Greyed Purple 187A. Flowering stem attitude.Upright. Pedicel.Grows to 3 mm long, with glandular hairs, between Black 203A and Greyed Purple 187A. Bloom period.July to frost in Canby, Oreg. Flower bud: Size.4 mm wide and 5 mm long. Description.Glandular-puberulent, ovoid, horizontal to down facing. Color.Red Purple 64B. Flower: Type.Perfect. Shape.Campanulate. Attitude.Side-facing. Size.6 mm long and 5 mm wide. Corolla description.5 petals, each 2 mm long and 1mm wide, spatulate, margins entire, tip acute, glabrous on topside, glandular-puberulent on bottom side, both sides Red Purple 64B. Calyx description.Campanulate, 5 mm long and 4 mm wide, with 5 lobes with wide sinuses divided way to the base, each 2 mm wide and 3 mm long, oblong in shape, back side glandular-puberulent with glandular hairs, glabrous inside, tip obtuse, margin entire, outside Red Purple 64B inside Red Purple 64B. Stamen description.5 in number, filaments 2 mm long, White NN155C, anthers 0.5 mm long, Yellow Orange 22A, pollen absent. Pistil description.1, 2-beaked, 5 mm long and 2 mm wide, Red Purple 61C overall, ovary 2 mm long and 2 mm wide, style 3 mm long. Lastingness.Each thyrse blooms for about 3 weeks on the plant. Fruit: Type.Two-beaked ovoid capsule. Fertility.Moderate. Color.Greyed Brown 199C. Seed: Shape.Linear. Size.2 mm long. Color.Black 202A. Pest and disease tolerance: The new cultivar is typical to the genus. No known resistances to pests or diseases. No problems have been found in Canby, Oreg.