APPLICATIONS UNDER EXAMINATION SPIREA Proposed

APPLICATIONS UNDER EXAMINATION
SPIREA
SPIREA
(Spiraea betulifolia)
Proposed denomination:
Trade name:
Application number:
Application date:
Applicant:
Agent in Canada:
Breeder:
‘Tor Gold’
Glow Girl
11-7407
2011/10/19
Valkplant BV, Boskoop, Netherlands
BioFlora Inc., St. Thomas, Ontario
Ton Stolwijk, Hazerwoude-Dorp, Netherlands
Variety used for comparison: ‘Tor’
Summary: The plants of ‘Tor Gold’ have thinner shoots and smaller diameter inflorescences than the plants of ‘Tor’. When
newly open, the upper side of the young leaf blade of ‘Tor Gold’ is yellow to green with a light reddish blush at the margin
whereas the young leaf blade of ‘Tor’ is green with a light reddish blush at the margin. When fully open, the upper side of the
leaf blade of ‘Tor Gold’ is green brown with dark green at the base and lighter green overcolour while the leaf blade of ‘Tor’
is brown green.
Description:
PLANT: bushy rounded growth habit, medium branching density, dense foliage
YOUNG SHOOT: light green, strong intensity of anthocyanin colouration towards distal end
SHOOT: reddish brown, absent or very sparse pubescence, angular in cross-section, thin
LEAF BUD: absent or very sparse pubescence, rounded apex, very short, very narrow
LEAF BLADE: upper side is yellow to green with light reddish blush at margin when newly open, upper side is green brown
(RHS 153C-D) with dark green (RHS 143B) at base and dark green (RHS 143C) overcolour when fully open, broad elliptic
shape, obtuse apex, obtuse base, sparse pubescence on upper side, absent or very sparse pubescence on lower side, absent or
very weak glaucosity on lower side, absent or very weak glaucosity on veins on lower side, weak rugosity
LEAF BLADE MARGIN: dentate shape with crenate shape on distal third only, absent or very weak undulation, absent or
very sparse pubescence
PETIOLE: present
FLOWERING: occurring after leaf emergence, begins mid-season for a medium length of time
INFLORESCENCE: no peduncle, compound corymb type, many florets
CALYX: absent or very sparse pubescence
COROLLA: arrangement of petals touching to overlapping
PETAL: white (RHS NN155A) on upper side, absent or very weak reflexing of margin, absent or very weak to weak
undulation
STAMEN: longer in relation to length of petals
ANTHER: yellow white
Origin and Breeding: ‘Tor Gold’ was discovered in June 2006 and developed by the breeder, Ton Stolwijk, in HazerwoudeDorp, Netherlands. It was discovered as a naturally occurring branch mutation of the Spiraea betulifolia variety ‘Tor’. ‘Tor
Gold’ was selected for its yellow foliage colour, orange to purple red foliage colour in autumn, good plant health and plant
hardiness. Asexual reproduction of ‘Tor Gold’ by softwood cuttings was first conducted in June 2006 in Hazerwoude-Dorp,
Netherlands.
Tests and Trials: The comparative trial of ‘Tor Gold’ was conducted as an outdoor irrigated container trial during the spring
of 2014 at BioFlora Inc. in St. Thomas, Ontario. It included a total of 15 shrubs each of the candidate and reference variety.
All shrubs were grown from rooted cuttings and transplanted into 13.5 litre containers on June 14, 2013. Observations and
measurements were taken from 10 shrubs or parts of shrubs of each variety on June 10, 2014. All colour determinations were
made using the 2007 Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Colour Chart.
Plant Varieties Journal, January 2015, No. 94
APPLICATIONS UNDER EXAMINATION
SPIREA
Comparison table for ‘Tor Gold’
‘Tor Gold’
‘Tor’*
Colour of upper side of leaf blade (RHS)
newly open
yellow to green with light reddish blush at margin
fully open
153C-D with 143B at base and 143C overcolour
green with light reddish blush at margin
closest to 137B
Inflorescence diameter (cm)
mean
3.3
std. deviation 0.38
4.2
0.37
*reference variety
Spirea: ‘Tor Gold’ (left) with reference variety ‘Tor’ (right)
Plant Varieties Journal, January 2015, No. 94
APPLICATIONS UNDER EXAMINATION
Spirea: ‘Tor Gold’ (left) with reference variety ‘Tor’ (right)
Plant Varieties Journal, January 2015, No. 94
SPIREA