Sedum plant named ‘Superstar’

Abstract

The new and distinct cultivar of perennial Sedum plant named Superstar is characterized by tight-forming compact clumps with small-sized, greyed-purple glaucous foliage on vertical to slightly arching branching stems flower stems that resist falling over and opening up in the center of the plant throughout the growing season. Numerous stems produce a multitude of flowers beginning light rosy-pink effect darkening with age to reddish purple and completely covering the top and sides of the plant. The new plant is useful for the landscape in containers, as specimen or en masse.

Claims

1. The new and distinct perennial Sedum plant named Superstar as herein described and illustrated.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

(1) The photograph of the new plant demonstrates the unique traits and the overall appearance of Sedum Superstar. The colors are as accurate as reasonably possible with color reproductions of this type. Variations in ambient light spectrum, source and direction may cause the appearance of minor variation in color. The plants used in the photograph were one and three-year-old plants grown in an open, full-sun trial garden at a wholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich. with supplemental water and fertilizer when needed. No plant growth regulators or pinching have been used.

(2) FIG. 1 shows the plant in early stages of flowering with foliage.

(3) FIG. 2 shows the plant in full flower.

(4) FIG. 3 shows a close-up of the flower and buds.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

(5) The following is a detailed description of three-year-old plants of the new cultivar as grown outdoors in a full sun trial plot at a wholesale nursery in Zeeland, Mich. No plant growth regulators or pinching have been used. Plants of the new cultivar have not been tested under all possible conditions. The phenotype may vary with changes in environment, climate, and cultural conditions without change however in the genotype. The color reference is in accordance with the 2015 edition of The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where general color dictionary terms are used. Botanical designation: Sedum hybrid; Cultivar denomination: Superstar; Parentage: Sedum cauticola as the female or seed parent; SRF-SED-282-F Sunset Cloud as the male or pollen parent; Asexual propagation: Stem tip cuttings and division; Time to initiate roots: About two weeks; Time to finish a 3.8 liter flowering container: About three months in the summer from a rooted 2.5 cm plug; Root description: Thick, fleshy; freely branching; creamy white to light tan in color. Plant habit: Winter-hardy herbaceous perennial; clumping mound; stems stiff and upright to arching arising from a dense crown; dense and full, not opening in center later in the season; flower heads freely branching; Growth rate: Moderately vigorous; Plant size: About 28.5 cm tall and 75.0 cm wide in full flower; Stems: Terete, glaucous, glabrous; diameter at base average about 3.5 mm and about 21.0 cm long from base to initial branches; internodes average about 8.0 mm; about 80 stems per plant; Stem color: Nearest a blend between RHS 184D and RHS N187B; Lateral branches: Glaucous; primary branches about 3.0 mm diameter and about 7.5 cm long; Lateral branch color: Nearest blend between RHS 186C and RHS N187C; Foliage: Ovate-orbicular; alternate to sub-opposite; simple; smooth, glabrous, glaucous on both surfaces; distally sessile; thick, fleshy and succulent; apex bluntly acute to rounded; base rounded; margin irregularly and shallowly dentate, primarily in distal one half of leaf, about 3.0 mm to 6.0 mm apart; decreasing in size distally; attitude outward; Foliage size: To about 4.0 cm long, 3.5 cm across and 2.2 mm thick; average about 3.6 cm long, 3.1 cm across and 2.0 mm thick; Foliage color: Young adaxial blend between RHS 122B and RHS 189B with blush toward margins of nearest RHS N186B, young abaxial between RHS 122B and RHS 189B with blush toward margins of nearest RHS N186B; mature adaxial nearest RHS 146C with blush of nearest RHS N186C, mature abaxial nearest RHS 146C; Petiole: Sessile; Venation: Palmate, barely distinguishable; slightly raised abaxial; Vein color: Abaxial and adaxial veins same as surrounding leaf tissue; Flower: Stellate, actinomophic; pentamerous; persistent; attitude upright to outwardly in terminal compound cymes; about 7.0 mm across and 4.0 mm deep; Flower number: About 2,000 to 4,000 flowers per plant; Fragrance: None detected; Flowering season: Beginning mid-August to mid-September in Zeeland, Mich.; able to be forced to flower in greenhouse out of season with about 2 months of growth following 9 weeks of vernalization; Longevity: Flower cymes remain effective for about three weeks on the plant and one week as cut flowers; individual flowers persistent and effective for about two weeks; Flower buds about one day prior to opening: Broadly ellipsoidal with five angular sides, semi-carinate; apex broadly acute; base rounded; about 3.7 mm diameter and about 4.5 mm long; shallowly longitudinally sulcate; Flower bud color: Longitudinally striped alternately with between RHS 75D and RHS 75C and between RHS 71D and RHS 71C; color of buds about ten days prior to opening blend between RHS N187C and RHS 188C with stripes nearest RHS 71A exposed between sepals; Inflorescence: About 6.5 cm tall from first branch and about 8.5 cm across; up to about 100 flowers per inflorescence; Petals: Typically five, broadly-lanceolate; acute apex, base fused, margin entire; glabrous and lustrous abaxial and adaxial; average about 4.5 mm long and about 2.2 mm across at fusion; Petal color: Adaxial nearest a blend between RHS N57C and RHS 61C at anthesis darkening to nearest RHS 60A in maturity; abaxial along longitudinal margins lighter than RHS 63D with midrib between RHS 64B and RHS 64C; Calyx: With five sepals, fused at base; adpressed to petals, about 2.7 mm long and about 12.0 mm diameter; Sepals: Campanulate; lanceolate; acute apex; fused base; margin entire; glabrous and glaucous both abaxial and adaxial; about 2.7 mm long and about 2.5 mm wide at fused base; Sepal color: Abaxial and adaxial nearest a blend between RHS N187C and RHS N77D; Peduncles: Terete; slightly glaucous, glabrous; stiff and flexible; freely branching; upright to slightly outwardly; with branches to about 70 degrees from perpendicular; about 8.0 cm long and 3.0 mm diameter; Peduncle color: Proximal portions nearest RHS 187C and distal portions nearest RHS 186C; Pedicels: Terete; glabrous, slightly glaucous; strong and stiff, yet flexible; about 4.5 mm long and 0.7 mm diameter; Pedicel color: Blend between RHS N187C and RHS 186C; Androecium: Typically ten stamens; Filaments.Outwardly; about 4.0 mm long and about 0.2 mm diameter; color initially nearest RHS 63C and darkening to between RHS 61A and RHS 61B. Anthers.Basifixed, longitudinal; globose to ellipsoid; about 0.7 mm long and 0.6 mm diameter; color nearest RHS N77D. Pollen.Moderate in quantity; color nearest RHS 18B. Gynoecium: Typically five; ellipsoidal proximally and conic in distal one third; about 4.5 mm long and 1.2 mm diameter; Style.Terete; about 0.7 mm long and 0.5 mm diameter at point of attachment to ovary; glabrous; color at anthesis nearest RHS 61C darkening to nearest RHS 61A on old flowers. Stigma.Minute, globose; about 0.2 mm diameter and 0.2 mm long; color nearest RHS N155B. Ovary.Ellipsoidal, nearly terete, acutely tapering at apex to style; base truncate; lustrous; about 3.7 mm long and 1.2 mm diameter; color at anthesis between RHS 61C and RHS 61D and nearest RHS 60A after pollen dehisced. Fruit: Ventrally dehiscent follicle; about 3.5 mm long and 3.2 mm across; color at maturity nearest RHS 177A; Seed: Sparse; fine; lanceolate; about 1.0 mm long and less than 0.2 mm across; color between RHS 165A and RHS 165B; Disease and pest resistance: Plants of the new Sedum Superstar is xeromorphic and grow best with good drainage, full sun and moderate to low fertility. Superstar is cold hardy from USDA zones 3 to 9 and has tolerated temperatures of at least 35 degrees C. Superstar tolerates heavy rains and wind and is not prone to develop an open center later in the season as many other Sedum cultivars do. Other pest and disease resistance and tolerance outside that normal for Sedum is not known.