Phlox plant named 'Eye Caramba'

Abstract

A unique cultivar of Creeping Phlox plant named ‘Eye Caramba’ characterized by vigorous, dense, rapidly-spreading, multi-stemmed, winter-hardy habit with short, bright green, narrow leaves. Flowering begins in late April and continuing for up to five weeks in cooler weather conditions, on heavily-branched peduncles and completely cover the plant in peak season. Petals of newly opened flowers are deep purplish-pink with a reddish-pink eye and a small notch in the tips of the petals. The new plant is able to withstand dry conditions once established, and the foliage stays clean and resists mildew. The new plant is especially suitable for the landscape as a potted plant and in the garden as a specimen or en masse.

Claims

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Creeping Phlox, Phlox plant named ‘Eye Caramba’, as herein described and illustrated.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The photographs of the new plant demonstrate the unique traits of Phlox ‘Eye Caramba’ and the overall appearance of two-years-old plants growing in a partially shaded greenhouse 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.

[0015] FIG. 1 shows a landscape habit view of the new plant in early flowering stages with foliage.

[0016] FIG. 2 shows a close-up of the flowers and buds.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

[0017] 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 ‘Eye Caramba’ 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. [0018] Botanical classification: Phlox subulata; [0019] Parentage: Female or seed parent and male or pollen parent is Phlox subulata ‘North Hills’ and the and male or pollen parent is ‘Early Spring Light Pink’; [0020] Plant habit: Winter-hardy, evergreen herbaceous perennial; short, dense, producing about 20 to 40 stiff, highly-branched prostrate stems; foliage to 14.0 cm tall and 26.0 cm wide, average 13.5 cm tall and 66.0 cm wide; flowering to 14.5 cm tall and 30.0 cm wide; [0021] Propagation: Stem cuttings; rooting in about 3 weeks; [0022] Time to produce finished crop in 3.8 liter pots: About 8 to 10 weeks; vigorous; [0023] Root: Fibrous and freely branching; color creamy white to tan depending on soil type; [0024] Leaves: Simple; four-ranked; apex apiculate; base truncate, clasping; margin entire and micro-ciliolate; glabrous and matte both adaxial and abaxial; about 15.0 mm long by about 3.8 mm wide just above base; [0025] Leaf color: Adaxial expanding and mature nearest RHS 137C, abaxial both expanding and mature nearest RHS 138A; base adaxial and abaxial nearest RHS 145C; [0026] Foliage fragrance: None detected; [0027] Veins: Pinnate; not conspicuous adaxial and abaxial; [0028] Vein color: Same color as surround leaf; [0029] Petiole: Leaves sessile; [0030] Stems: Cylindrical; flexible; wiry; prostrate; highly branching; to about 15.0 cm long and 2.5 mm diameter near base; [0031] Stem color: Color nearest RHS 195A when exposed; [0032] Nodes: Proximally about 3.0 mm apart; distally less than 1.0 mm apart; [0033] Node color: Color nearest RHS 195A; [0034] Inflorescence: Upright to outwardly; about 6.5 cm long and 4.0 cm wide; up to 3 flowers per branch and 3 branches per stem; [0035] Flowers: Perfect; salverform; mostly flat faced; about 17.0 mm across face and 12.0 mm long; with fused corolla tube about 10.0 mm long and 2.0 mm diameter near face; attitude upright to outwardly; [0036] Flower longevity: About 5 days on plant; self-cleaning; [0037] Flower fragrance: Very faintly sweet; [0038] Buds one to two days prior to opening: Narrowly elliptical; bluntly acute to rounded apex with rounded base; petals implicate; about 10.0 mm long; 2.5 mm diameter in the bulb and 6.5 mm long in tube; corolla tube to 2.0 mm diameter and about 3.5 mm long; [0039] Bud color: Exposed petal bulb portion between RHS 75C and RHS 75B; proximal corolla tube under sepals nearest RHS N144D; calyx nearest RHS N186B where exposed to high light and in lower light exposure nearest RHS N137B; [0040] Petals: Five; obtuse; consisting of limb and basal claw fused into corolla tube; apex rounded and shallowly emarginate, cleft to about 1.0 mm deep; limbs slightly imbricate; margin entire; glabrous adaxial and abaxial; [0041] Petal size: Limb about 7.0 mm long and 7.0 mm wide near apex; tube about 10.0 mm long and 2.0 mm diameter; [0042] Petal color upon opening: [0043] Adaxial.—Limb between RHS 72D and RHS 73A with eye ring about 1.5 mm wide nearest RHS 61A; proximal 3.0 mm of corolla tube between RHS 145D and RHS 145C, remaining distal tube portion nearest RHS 72D. [0044] Abaxial.—Limb between RHS 73A and RHS 73B, proximal 1.0 mm of tube nearest RHS 145C, next proximal 2.0 mm nearest RHS NN155A, remaining distal tube with striated portion nearest RHS 70B and RHS 73D. [0045] Petal color upon maturity: [0046] Adaxial.—Limb between RHS 72D and RHS 73A with two marks near center of about 1.0 mm long and 0.5 mm wide nearest RHS 61A, proximal 3.0 mm of corolla tube between RHS 145D and RHS 145C, remaining distal tube portion nearest RHS 72D. [0047] Abaxial.—Limb between RHS 73A and RHS 73B lightening near center between RHS 73A and RHS NN155D proximal 1.0 mm of tube nearest RHS 145C, next proximal 2.0 mm nearest RHS NN155A, remaining distal tube with striated portion nearest RHS 70B and RHS 73D. [0048] Androecium: Typically five; [0049] Filaments.—Typically five, adnate to inner corolla to various heights about 5.0 mm to 8.0 mm from base; free in the distal 1.0 mm to about 2.0 mm long and 0.2 mm in diameter; color nearest RHS NN155D. [0050] Anther.—Five; oblong elliptic; dorsifixed; about 1.0 mm long by 0.5 mm wide; color nearest RHS 17A. [0051] Pollen.—Nearly microscopic; color nearest RHS N25C. [0052] Gynoecium: One pistil per flower; 8.0 mm long; [0053] Style.—Cylindrical; about 6.0 mm long and 0.3 mm diameter when flower is mature; persistent after flower abscission; color nearest RHS 1D. [0054] Stigma.—Trifid in distal 2.0 mm long, about 0.3 mm diameter; color nearest RHS 1C. [0055] Ovary.—Inferior; conical; glabrous; acute apex and truncate base; about 1.0 mm long and 1.0 mm diameter; color nearest RHS 143A. [0056] Calyx: Campanulate; pubescent abaxial, glabrous adaxial; about 7.0 mm long and 3.0 mm across at apex; [0057] Sepals; Five; linear; glabrous and lustrous adaxial, matte and pubescent to puberulent abaxial; acute apex; fused in basal 4.0 mm; margin entire; individually about 7.0 mm long and 1.0 mm wide at fusion; [0058] Sepal color: Adaxial nearest RHS 137B, fused margin portions nearest RHS 157D; abaxial nearest RHS 138A in lower light, and in high light exposure of nearest RHS N186C with margins nearest RHS 157D; [0059] Peduncle: Puberulent; strong, flexible; mostly upright; cylindrical; to about 2.0 mm diameter at base and 2.5 cm long; [0060] Peduncle color: Low light or ventrally nearest RHS 147C; high light or dorsally between RHS 182B and RHS N186C; [0061] Pedicle: Cylindrical; glabrous; flexible; upright to outwardly; variable lengths from about 4.0 mm to 8.0 mm long and 0.7 mm diameter; [0062] Pedicle color: Variable depending on light exposure; ventrally nearest RHS 186A, dorsally nearest RHS N186C; [0063] Fruit and seeds: Not observed; [0064] Hardiness and culture: The new plant grows best with full sun, light moisture and deep drainage; hardy to at least from USDA zone 3 through 9. [0065] Disease and pest resistance: Phlox ‘Eye Caramba’ demonstrates excellent powdery mildew resistance under conditions that would normally show symptoms.