Phlox plant named ‘Bedazzled Lavender’

Abstract

A new and unique cultivar of Hybrid Spring Phlox named Phlox Bedazzled Lavender multi-stemmed compact habit, slowly spread plant with bright, glossy-green, lanceolate leaves. Flowers are sweetly fragrant, with deeply notched petals of deep purplish-pink with two deep purple marks in center near-white eye beginning mid-April, continuing for about six weeks on branched peduncles. Foliage stays clean and resists mildew, especially suitable as a potted plant and for the landscape.

Claims

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Phlox plant named Bedazzled Lavender, as herein described and illustrated.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The photographs of the new plant demonstrate the unique traits of Phlox Bedazzled Lavender and the overall appearance of a three-year-old plant growing in a full-sun trial bed 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 new plant in peak flower early May.

(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 Bedazzled Lavender 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 three-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 is Phlox subulata Emerald Pink, male or pollen parent is Phlox bifida Top Notch; Plant habit: Winter-hardy herbaceous perennial; compact, highly branched; producing about 30 to 40 stiff, highly-branched stems; foliage 10.0 cm tall and 54.0 cm wide; flowering to 15.0 cm tall and 62.0 cm wide; Propagation: Stem cuttings; rooting in about 10 days; Time to produce finished crop in 3.8 liter pots: About 8 to 10 weeks; moderately vigorous; Root: Fibrous and freely branching; color creamy white to tan depending on soil type; Leaves: Simple; opposite; lanceolate, subulate; apex acute; base truncate, clasping; margin entire with basal one-quarter to whole margin micro-ciliolate; lustrous and glabrous both adaxial and abaxial; about 28.0 mm long by about 3.5 mm wide; Leaf color: Adaxial and abaxial nearest RHS 137A, with base nearest RHS 157C; Foliage fragrance: None detected; Veins: Pinnate; not conspicuous adaxial and abaxial; Vein color: Same color as surround leaf; Petiole: Leaves sessile; Stems: Cylindrical; stiff; strong; upright; covered in leaves distally; about 16.0 mm long and 3.0 mm diameter at base; Stem color: Variable, nearest RHS 199C and RHS 146D in exposed proximal region; Nodes: Proximally about 12.0 mm apart; distally less than 1.0 mm apart; Node color: Same as surrounding stem; Flowers: Perfect; salverform; cupped; about 22.0 mm across face and cupped to about 8.0 mm deep; with fused corolla tube about 15.0 mm long and 2.0 mm diameter; in branched panicle of about 3 to 5 flowers; attitude upright to outwardly; Flower longevity: About 5 days on plant; self-cleaning; Flower fragrance: Pleasantly sweet; Buds one to two days prior to opening: Narrowly oblanceolate, to narrowly clavate; acute apex with petals implicate; about 21.0 mm long and 2.0 mm diameter in tube and 3.5 mm diameter toward apex; Bud color: Nearest RHS N87C distally with center portion nearest RHS 86A and tube nearest RHS 85A; Petals: Five; glabrous; cleft blade and fused claw; blades not imbricate; apex bifid to 6.0 mm deep and lobes separated about 5.0 mm at apex; blade about 9.0 mm long and 2.0 mm wide before tube; lobes about 13.0 mm wide near apex; base fused into a tube about 15.0 mm diameter and 2.0 cm long; Petal color: Adaxial blade.Between RHS N78C and RHS N78D with veins nearest RHS N78B, 2.0 mm central eye nearest RHS NN 155D with each petal having two spots about 1.0 mm long of blend between RHS N79B and RHS 79B; central eye of about 5.0 mm diameter nearest RHS 155D, remainder of petal outside of center eye of nearest RHS 84B; main blade lightening to nearest RHS 76C in maturity. Abaxial blade.Nearest RHS N81D. Inner corolla tube.Nearest RHS 85A lightening to nearest RHS 145C in basal 2.0 mm. Outer corolla tube.Nearest RHS 85A and lightening to lighter than RHS 145D at base. Androecium: Filaments.Usually five, adnate to inner corolla at various heights; about 1.0 mm and 0.1 mm in diameter; color nearest RHS NN155D. Anther.Oblong elliptic; dorsifixed; oblong, about 2.0 mm long by 0.7 mm wide; color nearest RHS 17B. Pollen.Nearly microscopic, spherical; color nearest RHS 23A. Gynoecium: One pistil per flower; 13.0 mm long; Style.Cylindrical; about 11.0 mm long and 0.2 mm diameter when flower is mature; color nearest RHS 157D. Stigma.Trifid in proximal 1.0 mm, about 0.2 mm diameter; persistent after flower abscission; nearest RHS 1C. Ovary.Inferior; globose; about 1.0 mm long and 1.0 mm diameter; color nearest RHS 144A. Calyx: Campanulate; about 9.0 mm long and 3.5 mm across at apex; Sepals: Five; linear; glabrous; acute apex, fused in basal 4.0 mm; margin entire, ciliate; pubescent abaxial, glabrous and lustrous adaxial; individually about 9.0 mm long and 1.0 mm wide at fusion; Sepal color: Adaxial nearest RHS 137B and abaxial nearest RHS 137C with light blush of nearest RHS N186C; Peduncle: Finely puberulent; stiff, flexible; upright, cylindrical; about 1.5 mm diameter at base and 3.0 cm long; Peduncle color: Nearest RHS N77A; Pedicle: Cylindrical; finely puberulent; flexible; upright to outwardly; to about 10.0 mm long and 1.0 mm diameter; Pedicle color: Nearest RHS N77A; Fruit and seeds: Not yet been observed; Hardiness and culture: The new plant grows best in full sun with plenty of moisture and adequate drainage and can tolerate drier conditions once established; hardy to at least from USDA zone 4 through 8. Disease and pest resistance: Phlox Bedazzled Lavender demonstrates excellent powdery mildew resistance under conditions that would normally show symptoms. Resistance or susceptibility beyond that common of other Hybrid Spring Phlox is not known.