plant named ‘ARLENE’

Abstract

A new and distinct cultivar of Berberis plant named ‘ARLENE’, characterized by its upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; variegated leaves that are light red, green and light yellow green in color; and good garden performance.

Description

Botanical designation: Berberis thunbergii.

Cultivar denomination: ‘ARLENE’.

CROSS-REFERENCED TO CLOSELY-RELATED APPLICATIONS

Title: Berberis Plant Named ‘AMERA’

Applicant: Timothy D. Wood

Ser. No. 16/350,427

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Berberis plant, commonly referred to as Barberry, botanically known as Berberis thunbergii and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘ARLENE’. The new Berberis plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Grand Haven, Mich. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new unique Berberis plants with unique plant form and attractive leaves.

The new Berberis plant originated from an open-pollination in 2005 of Berberis thunbergii ‘Rose Glow’, not patented, as the female, or seed parent and an unknown selection of Berberis thunbergii as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Berberis plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor during the summer of 2011 as a single plant within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled environment in Grand Haven, Mich.

Asexual reproduction of the new Berberis plant by softwood cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Grand Haven, Mich. since the summer of 2011 has shown that the unique features of this new Berberis plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Berberis have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘ARLENE’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘ARLENE’ as a new and distinct Berberis plant:

• • 1. Upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.
  • 2. Vigorous growth habit.
  • 3. Freely branching habit.
  • 4. Variegated leaves that are light red, green and light yellow green in color.
  • 5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Berberis can be compared to plants of the female parent, ‘Rose Glow’. Plants of the new Berberis differ primarily from plants of ‘Rose Glow’ in leaf color as plants of ‘Rose Glow’ have pink and burgundy bi-colored leaves. In addition, plants of the new Berberis are more outwardly spreading than plants of ‘Rose Glow’.

Plants of the new Berberis can be compared to plants of Berberis thunbergii ‘AMERA’, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 16/350,427. Plants of the new Berberis are more outwardly spreading than and not as compact and mounding as plants of ‘AMERA’. In addition, plants of the new Berberis have variegated developed leaves whereas plants of ‘AMERA’ have solid-colored leaves.

Plants of the new Berberis can also be compared to plants of the Berberis thunbergii, ‘Lime Glow’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Berberis differ primarily from plants of ‘Lime Glow’ in plant habit as plants of the new Berberis are more outwardly spreading than and not as upright and rounded as plants of ‘Lime Glow’. In addition, variegated leaves of plants of the new Berberis are lighter red in color than variegated leaves of plants of ‘Lime Glow’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Berberis plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Berberis plant.

The photograph on the first sheet is a side perspective view of a typical plant of ‘ARLENE’ grown in an outdoor nursery.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical branch and leaves of ‘ARLENE’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the spring and summer in a polythelene-covered greenhouse in Grand Haven, Mich. and under cultural practices which closely approximate commercial Berberis production. During the production of the plants, dary temperatures ranged from 18° C. to 27° C. and night temperatures ranged from 5° C. to 10° C. Plants were about two years old when the photographs and detailed description were taken. In the following detailed description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

• Botanical classification: Berberis thunbergii ‘ARLENE’.
• Parentage:
  • • Female, or seed, parent.—Berberis thunbergii ‘Rose Glow’, not patented.
    • Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Berberis thunbergii, not patented.
• Propagation:
  • • Type.—By softwood cuttings.
    • Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 20 days at temperatures ranging from 18° C. to 27° C.
    • Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three months at temperatures ranging from 18° C. to 27° C.
    • Root description.—Medium in thickness; fibrous; typically white to brown in color, actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate composition, water quality, fertilizer type and formulation, substrate temperature and physiological age of roots.
    • Rooting habit.—Freely branching; medium in density to dense.
• Plant description:
  • • Plant form and growth habit.—Perennial shrub; upright to outwardly spreading plant habit; rapid growth rate and vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit with about 10 to 15 lateral branches developing per plant.
    • Plant height.—About 20 cm.
    • Plant diameter (area of spread).—About 66 cm.
• Lateral branch description:
  • • Length.—About 31 cm.
    • Diameter.—About 4 mm.
    • Internode length.—About 1 cm.
    • Aspect.—About 45° to 90° from main stem axis.
    • Strength.—Strong, flexible.
    • Texture.—Smooth, glabrous.
    • Color.—Close to 181A.
    • Thorns.—Quantity: One thorn developing at each node. Length: About 1 cm. Width: About 0.5 mm. Color, developing and developed stems: Close to 4C; towards the apex, close to 200A.
• Leaf description:
  • • Arrangement.—Alternate or whorled; simple.
    • Length.—About 2 cm.
    • Width.—About 1.25 cm.
    • Shape.—Spatulate.
    • Apex.—Obtuse.
    • Base.—Attenuate.
    • Margin.—Entire.
    • Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.
    • Venation pattern.—Pinnate.
    • Color.—Developing leaves, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 145A and 145D. Fully expanded leaves, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 52B, 145D and NN137A; venation, similar to lamina colors; leaves becoming closer to NN137A with subsequent development.
    • Petioles.—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 52B, 145D and NN137A.
• Flower description:
  • • Flower arrangement and habit.—Flowers arranged in terminal umbellate fascicles of three to eight flowers; flowers face outwardly to drooping; freely flowering habit with about 500 flowers developing per plant.
    • Fragrance.—None detected.
    • Natural flowering season.—Plants of the new Barberry flower during the spring in Grand Haven, Mich.
    • Flower longevity.—Flowers last about two weeks on the plant; flowers not persistent.
    • Flower diameter.—About 5 mm.
    • Flower length (height).—About 9 mm.
    • Flower buds.—Length: About 3 mm to 4 mm. Diameter: About 3 mm to 4 mm. Shape: Rounded, globose. Color: Close to 4A.
    • Petals.—Arrangement: About five to six in a single whorl. Length: About 4 mm. Width: About 3 mm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Obtuse. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 4A. Fully opened, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 4A; color does not change with development.
    • Sepals.—Arrangement: Six sepals in a single whorl. Length: About 4 mm. Width: About 3 mm. Shape: Roughly orbicular. Apex: Obtuse. Base: Acute to obtuse. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth; glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 4A; towards the apex, blushed with close to 47B.
    • Peduncles.—Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Aspect: Upright to outwardly. Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 142A.
    • Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity: About six per flower. Filament length: About 1 mm. Filament color: Close to 137B. Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther shape: Globular. Anther color: Close to 12A. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 12A. Pistils: Quantity: One per flower. Pistil length: About 3 mm. Style length: About 3 mm. Style color: Close to 157B. Stigma color: Close to 157B. Ovary color: Close to 157B. Seeds and fruits: To date, seed and fruit development have not been observed on plants of the new Berberis.
• Garden performance: Plants of the new Barberry have been observed to have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind and temperatures ranging from about −30° C. to about 38° C.
• Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Berberis have not been observed to be resistant pathogens and pests common to Berberis plants.

Claims

1. A new and distinct Berberis plant named ‘ARLENE’ as illustrated and described.