<i>Campanula </i>plant named ‘Twilight’

Abstract

A new and distinct Bellflower, Campanula plant named Twilight with a dense, compact, mounded habit; cordate to deltoid dark-green foliage and numerous medium purplish-blue campanulate flowers with pale bluish centers flowering for about 14 weeks beginning late spring and continuing until hard frost. The new plant is suitable for landscaping as a specimen, en masse, or in containers.

Claims

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Campanula plant named Twilight as described and illustrated.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The color drawings illustrate the overall characteristics of Campanula Twilight as a five-year-old plant. The colors are as true as reasonably possible given the technology available. The color values may vary slightly depending on light intensity and quality.

(2) FIG. 1 shows the new plant in a landscape environment.

(3) FIG. 2 shows a close-up of the flowers and buds of the new plant.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

(4) The following description is based on one and five-year-old plants growing in a full-sun display garden in Zeeland, MI, USA. Except for ordinary dictionary color usage, color references are according to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, sixth edition, 2015. The new plant has not been observed in all possible growing conditions and may vary in phenotypic characteristics based on water availability, light conditions, fertilizer, temperatures, etc. without varying in genotypic characteristics. Parentage: Female or seed parent is 15-6-5; the male parent is Violet Teacups; Asexual propagation: Cuttings, about 12 to 20 days to initiate roots; time to finish in a one-gallon container about 12 weeks from an established 25 mm plug; Plant habit: Rounded mound, herbaceous, perennial, winter-hardy; with about 20 heavily-branched stems up to 50 cm wide and 24 cm tall; Roots: Finely branched; color nearest RHS NN155B; Stems: Flexible; glabrous; thin; angular to longitudinally ridged; to about 26 cm long and 3 mm diameter at base; Stem color: Distally nearest RHS 138A; proximally nearest RHS 146D, no anthocyanins observed; Leaves: Alternate to semi-opposite; simple; ovate; acute apex; cordate base; margin irregularly serrate teeth; adaxial and abaxial surfaces glabrous, matte; to about 42 mm long and 30 mm wide; Leaf color: Young expanding leaves adaxial between RHS143A and RHS 144A, abaxial between RHS143A and RHS 144A; mature leaves adaxial nearest RHS 137B, abaxial between RHS 146A and RHS 147B; Petiole: Thin; concavo-convex; glabrous both adaxial and abaxial; margin entire; to about 45 mm long and 2 mm wide at base; Petiole color: Nearest RHS 146A adaxial and abaxial between RHS 1348C and RHS 145C; Veins: Palmate; glabrous; costate abaxial; Vein color: Adaxial nearest RHS 146D, abaxial proximal midrib nearest RHS 148C, distal midrib and secondary veins between RHS 146A and RHS 147B; Flower: Single; perfect; complete; campanulate; on terminal branches; to about 25 mm across, about 14 mm long; attitude upright to outwardly; Inflorescence fragrance: Not detected; Calyx: Protruding; to about 15 mm wide and 5 mm deep; extending about level with corolla base; Sepals: Five; divergent; lanceolate; narrowly acute apex; truncate base; margin micro-serrulate; glabrous adaxial and abaxial; about 8 mm long and about 2 mm wide at base; Sepal color: Abaxial and adaxial nearest RHS 147B; Flowering period: For about 14 weeks beginning late spring and continuing until hard frost; producing about 160 flowers and 100 buds per plant at one time during peak flowering; Flower longevity: Individually about 5 to 7 days; Flower buds: One day prior to openingellipsoidal; longitudinally channeled; rounded apex; about 12 mm long and 5.5 mm diameter; Flower bud color: One day prior to openingcarina nearest RHS 91D, fissures nearest RHS N88D; calyx between RHS 138A and RHS 138B; Peduncle: About 40 per plant; highly branched; cylindrical to ridged; glabrous; aspect upright to outright; flexible; about 3 mm diameter at base and 30 cm long; about 15 nodes, average internode spacing about 2 cm; branches to about 7.5 cm long and 2 mm diameter at base; Peduncle color: Nearest 138B; Pedicel: Cylindrical to striate; glabrous; thin, flexible; to about 20 mm long and 1 mm diameter; Pedicel color: Nearest RHS 138A; Petals: Typically five, rarely six or seven; ovate; acute to apiculate apex; basal 9 mm fused; glabrous adaxial and abaxial; margin entire; about 16 mm long and 11 mm wide above fusion; Petal color: Young adaxial center nearest RHS 91D, distally between RHS N87B and RHS 90C; young abaxial veins and proximally between RHS 91D and RHS 91C, distally nearest RHS 94C; mature adaxial center nearest RHS 91D and distally nearest RHS N87D; mature abaxial veins and proximally nearest RHS 91D, distally between RHS 84D and N87D; Androecium: Typically five; Filament.Distally cylindrical, proximally applanate; glabrous; distal portion about 3 mm long and 0.3 mm diameter at base, proximally 2 mm long and 2 mm wide at base; color nearest RHS NN155D distally and nearest RHS 146D proximally. Anther.Lanceolate; basifixed; about 3 mm long and 1 mm across; color nearest RHS 145C. Pollen.Not abundant; color between RHS 163C and RHS 163D. Gynoecium: Syncarpous; half-inferior; about 12 mm long; Style.Cylindrical; arcuate to reflexed; puberulent distally, glabrous distally; about 8 mm long and 0.5 mm diameter; color nearest RHS 145C. Stigma.Typically trifid, rarely quad-fid or penta-fid; cochleate distally with maturity; about 5 mm long before curling, 3 mm long when curled, and 0.5 mm diameter; color between RHS 146D and RHS 145C when young maturing to nearest RHS 158C. Fruit: Oblong poricidal capsule; longitudinally carinate; 8 mm tall and 5 mm wide; Fruit color: Nearest RHS N200A; Seed: Flattened ellipsoidal; rounded apex and base; about 1 mm long and 0.5 mm across center; Seed color: Variable, some seeds between RHS 200A and RHS N200A; Campanula Twilight is tolerant of winter temperatures from USDA hardiness at least to zones 3 to 8. The new plant grows best in full-sun with good drainage and adequate moisture. It is not known to be tolerant of diseases and pests that are common to other Campanula cultivars.