Looking Glass

Brunnera

Variety Description

Variety used for comparison: 'Jack Frost'

Summary: 'Looking Glass' has a grey green leaf colour while it is grey to grey green in 'Jack Frost'. The secondary colour on the leaf of 'Looking Glass' is a very small amount of light green along the veins while in 'Jack Frost' it is a small to medium amount of dark green to green brown found as speckles and along the margin.

Description:

PLANT: vegetatively propagated perennial, mounding growth habit, sparse degree of branching

STEM: medium green, absent or very weak anthocyanin colouration, absent or very weak glaucosity, dense pubescence, thin, striate shaped

LEAF: alternately arranged as well as basal rosette, simple, reniform shaped, acute to acuminate apex, cordate base, entire margin, dense pubescence on the upper side, medium to dense pubescence on the lower side, absent or very weak glaucosity on the upper side, upper side silver grey green colour, lower side light green, very small amount of light green variegation present along the veins on upper side, petiole present

INFLORESCENCE: flowers once, early season, short flowering time, cyme type, flowers located terminally, erect attitude
PETALS: touching, very few, rounded shape, obtuse apex, absent or very sparse pubescence on the upper side, upper side light blue (RHS 106B/C), lower side light blue (RHS 106B/C)

Origin & Breeding History: 'Looking Glass' is a sport of 'Jack Frost' that was discovered in the fall of 2000 in a batch of tissue cultured plants at Walters Gardens Inc. greenhouses in Zeeland, Michigan, USA. Initial selection was based on leaf colour, with evaluations being done in 2002 and 2003.

Tests & Trials: Trials were conducted during the spring/summer of 2006, in Oxford Station, Ontario. 10 plants of each variety were grown in 15 cm pots in a polyhouse. Plants were spaced 35 cm apart. Observations and measurements were taken from 10 plants of each variety. Colours were determined using the 2001 RHS Colour Chart.

Comparison table for 'Looking Glass' with reference variety 'Jack Frost'

Leaf colour (RHS)

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Brunnera: 'Looking Glass' (left) with reference variety 'Jack Frost' (right)