Phlox plant named ‘Pink Minuet’

Abstract

A unique cultivar of Hybrid Spring Phlox named Phlox Pink Minuet characterized by multi-stemmed, heavily branched, compact, mounded, winter-hardy habit, producing short, bright glossy-green, awl-shaped leaves. Numerous flowers begin in late-April for three weeks on moderately-branched peduncles, nearly completely covering the plant in peak season. Flowers sporadically for four or five weeks later in the season. Petals are rosy-pink with two small striae marks in the center eye of dark-purple. Petal apices are shallowly notched. Foliage stays clean and resists mildew, and the new plant is especially suitable as a potted plant and in the garden as a specimen or en masse.

Claims

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Phlox plant named Pink Minuet as herein described and illustrated.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The photographs of the new plant demonstrate the unique traits of Phlox Pink Minuet and the overall appearance of the plant at three-years old 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 in the landscape.

(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 Pink Minuet 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 an unnamed proprietary selection of Phlox procumbens, male or pollen parent is Phlox bifida Top Notch. Plant habit: winter-hardy, compact, densely-mounded, highly-branched, herbaceous perennial; producing about 50 to 75 stiff, highly-branched stems; foliage 13.5 cm tall and 34.0 cm wide, average 130 cm tall and 35.0 cm wide; flowering to 18.0 cm tall and 38.0 cm wide. Propagation: stem cuttings; rooting in about 3 weeks. Time to produce finished crop in 3.8 liter pots: about 8 to 12 weeks; moderately vigorous. Root: fibrous and freely branching; color creamy white to tan depending on soil type. Leaves: simple; opposite proximally, whorled distally; linear; apex apiculate; base truncate, clasping; margin entire, micro-ciliolate; lustrous and glabrous both adaxial and abaxial; about 15.0 mm long by about 3.5 mm wide. Leaf color: adaxial expanding between RHS 143A and RHS 144A, abaxial expanding nearest RHS 144A; mature adaxial nearest RHS 137B and mature abaxial nearest RHS 138B. Foliage fragrance: none detected. Veins: pinnate; not conspicuous adaxial and abaxial. Vein color: same color as surround leaf. Petiole: leaves sessile. Stems: cylindrical; flexible; strong; wiry; to 1.5 mm diameter and branching at nearly every node; strong; upright; covered in leaves distally; about 15.0 cm long and 1.5 mm diameter at base. Stem color: variable; nearest RHS 187C in high light and nearest RHS 146D in low indirect light. Nodes: proximally about 9.0 mm apart; distally less than 1.0 mm apart; average about 1.7 mm apart. Node color: same as surrounding stem. Inflorescence: to 5.5 cm long and 4.0 cm wide; with up to 7 flowers per inflorescence. Flowers: perfect; salverform; mostly flat faced; about 18.0 mm across the flat face and 16.0 mm long; with fused corolla tube about 14.0 mm long and 2.5 mm diameter near face; attitude upright to outwardly. Flower longevity: about 5 days on plant; self-cleaning. Flower fragrance: not detected. Buds one to two days prior to opening: narrowly oblanceolate, to narrowly clavate; acute apex with petals implicate; about 15.0 mm long, 7.5 mm long in terminal bulb portion and 13.5 mm long in tube; tube to 2.0 mm diameter; bulb to 3.5 mm diameter. Bud color: nearest RHS 70B in distal bulb portion, exposed tube nearest RHS 83B. Petals; five; glabrous; obdeltoid; cleft blade and claw base fused into tube; apex rounded, emarginate, notched between 0.5 and 1.0 mm deep; margin entire; blades rarely imbricate; glabrous adaxial and abaxial. Petal size: blade about 8.0 mm long and 7.0 mm wide near center; tube about 13.0 mm long and 2.0 mm diameter. Petal color: Adaxial: blade nearest RHS NN74B with two 1.0 mm striae near eye nearest blend of RHS 71A and RHS N79C, tube nearest RHS 69B, basal tube 2.0 mm nearest RHS 145D. Abaxial; blade between RHS NN74B and NN74C, basal tube 2.0 mm nearest RHS 145D, distal tube nearest RHS N79D; with 1.0 mm ring between tube and bulb nearest RHS 83A. Androecium: typically five. Filaments: typically 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 1.0 mm wide; color nearest RHS 17B. Pollen: nearly microscopic, spherical; color nearest RHS 23A. Gynoecium: one pistil per flower; 15.0 mm long. Style: cylindrical; about 13.0 mm long and 0.2 mm diameter when flower is mature; persistent after flower abscission; color nearest RHS 157D. Stigma: trifid in proximal 1.0 mm, about 0.2 mm diameter; nearest RHS 4B. Ovary: inferior; globose, rounded to slightly obtuse apex and truncate base; about 1.2 mm long and 1.0 mm diameter; color nearest RHS 144A. Calyx: campanulate; about 7.0 mm long and 4.0 mm across at apex. Sepals; five; linear to lanceolate; narrowly acute apex, fused in basal 3.0 mm; margin entire; puberulent abaxial, glabrous and lustrous adaxial; individually about 7.0 mm long and 1.0 mm wide at fusion. Sepal color: adaxial nearest RHS 187A toward apex and lightening to nearest RHS 147C in base, abaxial nearest RHS 138A with strong to light blush of nearest RHS 187A. Peduncle: finely puberulent; strong, flexible; upright to outwardly, cylindrical; about 1.5 mm diameter at base and 4.5 cm long. Peduncle color: nearest RHS 146C blushed with RHS 187A. Pedicle: cylindrical; finely puberulent; flexible; upright to outwardly; to about 4.0 mm long and 8.0 mm diameter. Pedicle color: nearest RHS 187A. Fruit and seeds: not yet been observed. Hardiness and culture: the new plant grows best with full sun, plenty of moisture and adequate drainage; hardy to at least from USDA zone 4 through 8. Disease and pest resistance: Phlox Pink Minuet demonstrates excellent powdery mildew resistance under conditions that would normally show symptoms.