Agapanthus plant named ‘Galaxy Blue’

Abstract

A new and distinct Agapanthus plant named Galaxy Blue characterized by winter-hardy compact habit with clean, lanceolate, medium-green foliage that goes dormant in the winter; single dark-blue flowers on medium-tall dark purple scapes flowering beginning about mid-July and with repeating new scapes into mid-September for about eight weeks.

Claims

1. A new and distinct ornamental plant cultivar named Agapanthus Galaxy Blue as herein described and illustrated.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The photograph of the new plant demonstrates the overall appearance of the plant, including the unique traits. The colors are as accurate as reasonably possible with color reproductions. Ambient light spectrum, temperature, source and direction may cause the appearance of minor variation in color.

(2) FIG. 1 shows an eight-year-old plant in peak flower during mid-summer in a full-sun trial garden in Zeeland, Mich.

(3) FIG. 2 shows a close-up of the flower 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. The new plant, Agapanthus Galaxy Blue, has not been observed under all possible environments. The phenotype may vary slightly with different environmental conditions, such as temperature, light, fertility, moisture and maturity levels, but without any change in the genotype. The following observations and size descriptions are of an eight-year-old plant in a sunny research garden bed in Zeeland, Mich. with and supplemental water and fertilizer. Botanical classification: Agapanthus praecox (L.) hybrid; Parentage: Female (seed) parent is A. campanulatus subspecies patens Mooreanus; male (pollen) is Prolific Blue; Propagation: Division of the rhizome and shoot tip tissue culture; Growth rate: Moderate; Crop time: About 12 to 15 weeks to flower starting in spring in a 3.8 liter container from vernalized one-year-old plant; Rooting habit: Primary roots thick and fleshy, secondary roots fibrous; Root color: Nearest RHS 159C depending on soil type; Plant shape and habit: Winter-hardy herbaceous perennial with pseudo-umbel inflorescence; about 50 flowering stems surrounded by acaulescent foliage forming a dense mound; Plant size: Foliage height about 32.0 cm tall from soil line to the top of the leaves, about 100.0 cm tall to highest inflorescence and about 80.0 cm wide at the widest point at the top of the inflorescences; Leaves: Linear; acaulescent; bi-ranked; entire; glabrous and glaucous both abaxial and adaxial; sessile; apex acute, base sheathing scape; to about 32.5 cm long and 17.0 mm across, average about 30.0 cm long and about 16.0 mm across; about 12 per division; attitude upright becoming outright and arching; Leaf color: Abaxial and adaxial base nearest RHS 144D; mature and young adaxial and abaxial nearest RHS 137A; Veins: Parallel; abaxial midrib about 2.0 mm across and color same as surrounding leaf tissue; Inflorescence: Pseudo-umbel initially sheathed in two bracts; Bracts: Deltoid; dehiscent; acuminate apex; truncate base; scarious; to about 12.0 mm across near middle and 34.0 mm long; Bract color: Variable; nearest RHS 165D and RHS 165B; Flowers: Funnelform; single, with two sets of three tepals; about 30 to 50 per scape; upward and outwardly facing; about 30.0 mm across and 22.0 mm deep; individually lasting for about four to five days, individual inflorescence lasting about two weeks; flowers remain effective from late-July repeating into mid-September for approximately eight weeks in Zeeland, Mich.; Flower fragrance: None detected; Buds one to two days prior to opening: Ellipsoidal with rounded apex and base; about 16.0 mm long and about 6.0 mm in diameter at widest point with near apex; Bud color one day from opening: Apical and along tepal margins nearest RHS 94A, lighter proximally nearest RHS 92B toward middle with base nearest portions of RHS 92C and RHS 145D; Tepals: 2 sets of 3; both sets open to almost flat face; identical in coloration; Inner tepals: Glabrous; obtuse; rounded apex; base attenuate, fused in proximal 8.0 mm; margin micro-erose; width at base about 2.0 mm; about 10.0 mm across at widest point and about 22.0 mm long; Outer tepals: Glabrous; obtuse; rounded apex; base attenuate, fused in proximal 8.0 mm; margin entire; width at base about 2.0 mm; about 6.0 mm across at widest point and about 22.0 mm long; Tepal color adaxial: Distally between RHS 94B and RHS 96B, with a midrib of between RHS 96A and RHS 96B and base lighter than RHS 97D; Tepal color abaxial: Distally nearest RHS 94B; gradually lightening to lighter than RHS 97D at base; Pedicel: Cylindrical; average about 30.0 mm long and 1.0 mm diameter; upright to outright; Pedicel color: Nearest RHS 146B blushed with nearest RHS 187A; Peduncle: Becoming cylindrical in maturity; usually one per division; erect to about 9.0 mm diameter at base, average 96.0 cm tall; extending above foliage; Peduncle color: Between RHS 146D and RHS 144A proximally and strongly maculate distally to nearest RHS N187A; Gynoecium: Single; tricarpelled; about 20.0 mm long; Style.Single, about 11.0 mm long, 0.5 mm diameter; color nearest RHS NN155D. Stigma.About 0.3 mm across; color nearest RHS NN155D. Ovary.Superior; ellipsoidal; about 8.0 mm long and 3.0 mm diameter near middle with an acute apex and truncate base; color nearest RHS 145C. Androecium: Six; Filaments.Six; adnate to inner corona in proximal 6.0 mm and free in distal 10.0 mm; about 0.5 mm in diameter; arcuate slightly upward; color nearest RHS 92D. Anthers.Oblong; basifixed, longitudinal; about 3.0 mm long and 1.0 mm wide; color closest to RHS 4C. Pollen.Color nearest RHS 11B. Fruit: Oblong ellipsoidal; non-fleshy, dehiscent, tri-loculicidal capsule with three distinct lobes; about 20.0 mm long and 9.0 mm in across; color while maturing nearest RHS N144D and at dehiscence variable between RHS 164D and RHS 165A; Seed: Up to about 30 per capsule; flattened single wing with embryo situated near one end; about 7.0 mm long, about 3.5 mm wide and about 1.0 mm thick at embryo; color nearest RHS 202A; Disease and pest resistance and tolerance: Galaxy Blue shows typical Lily of the Nile resistant to deer and rabbits but has not shown resistance to diseases and pests beyond that common for Lily of the Nile plants. The plant grows best and shows best coloration with plenty of moisture, adequate drainage, but is able to tolerate some drought when mature and direct sun without leaf bum when provided sufficient water.

(5) Hardiness at least from USDA zone 6 through 11. The new plant is useful for landscaping en masse, as a single specimen or small groups, as a container plant or as a cut flower.