Phlox plant named ‘Purple Sprite’

Abstract

A new and unique cultivar of hybrid creeping phlox named Phlox Purple Sprite multi-stemmed, short, upright, slowly-spreading habit with clean, green, glossy, lanceolate to linear leaves with exceptional powdery mildew resistance. Flowers are bright purple with small near-white eye and dark purple markings nearly covering the top of the plant in peak flowering season about one week later than typical Phlox subulata. Purple Sprite is especially useful as a containerized plant and for the flower garden.

Claims

1. A new and distinct cultivar of hybrid phlox plant named Phlox Purple Sprite, as herein described and illustrated.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The photographs of the new plant demonstrate the unique traits of Purple Sprite and the overall appearance of the plant at two-years-old grown in a full-sun trial garden in Zeeland, Mich. The colors are as accurate as reasonably possible with color reproductions. Variation in ambient light spectrum, source and direction may cause the appearance of minor variation in color.

(2) FIG. 1 shows the habit of the new plant in peak flower.

(3) FIG. 2 shows a close-up of the flowers 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. Phlox Purple Sprite has not been observed under all possible environments. The phenotype may vary slightly with different growing environments such as temperature, light, fertility, soil pH, moisture and maturity levels, but without any change in the genotype. The following observations and size descriptions are based on two-year-old plants in the full-sun trial garden of a wholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich. with supplemental fertilizer and water as needed. Botanical classification: Phlox hybrid; Parentage: Female or seed parent Phlox subulata North Hills and the male or pollen parent Phlox stolonifera Sherwood Purple; Plant habit: Densely-mounded, winter-hardy, herbaceous perennial, producing branched stems and early spring flowering; about 15.0 cm tall and about 20.0 cm wide; flowering about one week after typical Phlox subulata cultivars and continuing for about 4 weeks; Propagation: Stem cuttings; rooting in about 14 days; Time to produce finished crop in 3.8 liter pots: About 12 to 14 weeks; moderate rate of growth; Root: Primary roots to about 1.0 mm thick; secondary fibrous and freely branching; color creamy white to tan depending on soil type and root stage of development; Leaves: Simple; opposite; lanceolate to linear; entire margin; narrowly acute apex; attenuate base; sessile; Leaf size: To about 22.5 mm long by about 6.5 mm wide, average about 16.0 mm long by about 5.0 mm wide; Leaf surfaces: Glabrous and slightly lustrous abaxial and adaxial; Leaf color expanding: Adaxial and abaxial between RHS N144A and RHS 145A; Leaf color at flowering: Adaxial between RHS 146B and RHS 146A, abaxial nearest RHS 146D; Foliage fragrance: None detected; Veins: Pinnate; glabrous adaxial and abaxial; midrib about 0.5 mm wide at base, slightly sunken adaxial and raised abaxial; color same as surrounding leaf tissue; Petiole: Leaves sessile; Stems: Cylindrical; flexible; strong; pubescent; average about 12.0 cm long and 2.5 mm diameter at base; Stem color: Young stems nearest RHS 138B with blush of nearest RHS 183D; becoming nearest RHS N186C; Nodes: About nine per stem below terminal flowers; average internode length about 1.3 cm; Node color: Nearest RHS N186C; Inflorescence: A loosely-branched compound corymb of about 20 flowers; about 8.0 cm long and 6.0 cm across; Flowers: Perfect; salverform with flat face and long fused corolla tube; actinomophic; typically with five petals; about 14.0 mm long total with tube about 12.5 mm long; face about 13.0 mm across; attitude upright to outwardly; Flower longevity: About 5 days; self-cleaning; Flower fragrance: Faintly sweet; Buds one to two days prior to opening: Narrowly oblanceolate, to nearly clavate; acute apex with convolute petals; base fused; about 12.5 mm long and 2.5 mm diameter in tube and swollen to 5.0 mm diameter toward apex of convolute petals; Bud color: Exposed petals nearest RHS N82D and RHS 86D; Petals: Five; limb obtuse, apex rounded and emarginate; base fused into tube; margin entire; abaxial limb and tube glabrous, adaxial limb glabrous, adaxial tube glabrous except pubescent in region about 3.0 mm to 7.0 mm from base; Petal size: Basal 12.5 mm fused into corolla tube, to a diameter of about 3.0 mm; limb face about 6.0 mm across, and face about 6.0 mm long; imbricate toward center; Petal color: Adaxial face nearest RHS N82B developing small light center halo lighter than RHS 85D, and two dark purple marks of nearest RHS 79B toward center; abaxial limb nearest RHS N82D; adaxial tube nearest RHS 145C toward base with pubescence nearest RHS NN155D and distally nearest RHS 76C, abaxial tube basal 3.0 mm nearest RHS 145C distally nearest RHS 86D; Androecium: Filaments.Typically five; adnate to adaxial petals except free in terminal 1.0 mm; varying lengths between 3.0 mm and 7.0 mm, less than 0.5 mm in diameter; white, nearest RHS NN155D. Anther.Five; oblong elliptic; basifixed; longitudinal; about 1.2 mm long by 0.7 mm wide; color nearest RHS 23B. Pollen.Abundant; color nearest RHS 17A. Gynoecium: One pistil per flower; to about 12.0 mm long; Style.Cylindrical; about 8.0 mm long and less than 0.5 mm diameter; color base nearest RHS 145D, distal section nearest RHS 76B. Stigma.Trifurcate in the distal 1.0 mm, less than 0.25 mm in diameter; persistent after flower abscission; color nearest RHS 150D. Ovary.Superior; globose; about 2.0 mm long and 2.0 mm diameter; color blend between RHS 144A and RHS N144A. Calyx: Tubular; adpressed to corolla tube proximally and slightly reflexed distally; to about 5.0 mm long and 4.5 mm wide at apex; Sepals: Five; linear; narrowly acute apex, margin entire; basal 3.0 mm fused; surface matte and glabrous abaxial, lustrous and glabrous adaxial; individually about 5.0 mm long and 1.0 mm wide; Sepal color: Abaxial center nearest RHS NN137C with light blushing nearest RHS N186C and margins in fused region and distally nearest RHS 196D; adaxial nearest RHS 146D distally and 145B proximally; Peduncle: Pubescent; flexible, strong, mostly upright; cylindrical; flowering portion about 6.0 cm long and 2.5 mm diameter at base of flower branches; branches to about 5.0 cm long and 2.0 mm diameter at base; typically five flowers per branch; Peduncle color: Nearest blend between of RHS 183A and RHS N186C; Pedicel: Terete; glabrous; to about 6.0 mm long and 1.0 mm diameter; Pedicel color: Nearest blend between of RHS 178D and RHS 183D; Fruit and seeds have not yet been observed; Hardiness and culture: The new plant grows best with plenty of moisture and adequate drainage; prefers full sun but tolerates light shade; is hardy to at least from USDA zone 3 through 8. Disease and pest resistance: Phlox Purple Sprite demonstrated the excellent resistance to powdery mildew caused by Erysiphe cichoracearum under conditions of intense pressure that would normally show symptoms.