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Caleb

Summersweet

Denomination: 'Caleb'
Trade name: Vanilla Spice
Botanical Name: Clethra alnifolia
Applicant/Holder: Spring Meadow Nursery, Inc.
12601 120th Avenue
Grand Haven, Michigan
49417
United States of America
Breeder: Timothy D. Wood, Spring Lake, United States of America
Agent in Canada: BioFlora Inc.
38723 Fingal Line
R.R. #1
St. Thomas, Ontario
N5P 3S5
Canada
Tel: 519-317-7511
Application Date: 2008-07-29
Application Number: 08-6414
Grant of Rights Date: 2011-08-19
Certificate Number: 4167
Grant of Rights Termination Date: 2029-08-19

Variety Description

Variety used for comparison: 'Hummingbird'

Summary: The pubescence on the petioles of 'Caleb' is sparse while that on 'Hummingbird' is dense. The inflorescence of 'Caleb' is larger than that of 'Hummingbird'. 'Caleb' has longer corolla lobes than 'Hummingbird'.

Description:

PLANT: vegetatively propagated, shrub type, upright-bushy growth habit, medium degree of branching, dense foliage
STEM: light brown mature shoot, light green brown young shoot, absent or very weak anthocyanin colouration, absent or very sparse pubescence, rounded with rough texture

LEAF: opposite arrangement, simple type
LEAF BLADE: obovate, acuminate apex, cuneate and obtuse base, serrate margin, absent or very sparse pubescence on upper and lower sides, upper side light green when young, upper side dark green when mature, lower side light green/grey when young, lower side medium green/grey when mature
PETIOLE: present, sparse pubescence, yellow to light green

FLOWERING: short to medium period
PEDUNCLE: present, weak anthocyanin colouration, dense pubescence
INFLORESCENCE: terminal raceme type, dense, narrow elliptic bud, white (RHS 155B) bud
COROLLA: rotate and cupped
COROLLA LOBE: five, free, white (RHS 155B) on upper and lower sides
ANTHER: white
POLLEN: yellow

Origin & Breeding History: 'Caleb' originated from an open pollinated cross made between the female parent variety 'Ruby Spice' and pollen from an unknown male parent in the fall of 2003 in Grand Haven, Michigan, USA. The new Clethra variety was developed by the breeder, Timothy D. Wood, an employee of Spring Meadow Nursery in Grand Haven, Michigan. 'Caleb' was selected in the fall of 2006 based on flower size, foliage characteristics and good performance. Asexual reproduction by softwood cuttings was first conducted in the spring of 2007 in Grand Haven, Michigan.

Tests & Trials: Trials for 'Caleb' were conducted in an outdoor irrigated container trial during the summer of 2010, in St. Thomas, Ontario. The trial included a total of 15 shrubs each of the candidate and reference varieties. All shrubs were grown from 5.7 cm liners planted into 7.5 litre containers in May 2009. Observations and measurements were taken from 10 plants of each variety on July 13, 2010. All colour determinations were made using the 2007 Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Colour Chart.


Comparison tables for 'Caleb' with reference variety 'Hummingbird'

Inflorescence diameter (cm)

  'Caleb' 'Hummingbird'
mean 3.5 2.8
std. deviation 0.20 0.20

Corolla lobe length (mm)

  'Caleb' 'Hummingbird'
mean 10.6 8.7
std. deviation 1.07 0.48

Click on image for larger view
Caleb
Summersweet: 'Caleb' (left) with reference variety 'Hummingbird' (right)

Click on image for larger view
Caleb
Summersweet: 'Caleb' (left) with reference variety 'Hummingbird' (right)

Click on image for larger view
Caleb
Summersweet: 'Caleb' (left) with reference variety 'Hummingbird' (right)

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