plant named ‘UF20-34-1’

Abstract

A new and distinct cultivar of Coleus (Coleus scutellarioides) plant named ‘UF20-34-1’, selected for having a combination of desirable traits that make it well-suited for utility as a colorful annual plant in the summer landscape. ‘UF20-34-1’ was selected for its consistent foliage color patterning, and for its fast growth rate and vigor in the greenhouse and landscape. ‘UF20-34-1’ has foliage that is predominantly dark red with consistent purplish red centers, and well-defined yellow green leaf margins. ‘UF20-34-1’ is exceptional because it maintains a purplish red center and bright yellow green margin in a broad range of environmental conditions. It is a vigorous plant that can easily grow four feet tall in the landscape in one season, maintaining similar color in both sun and shade. It is upright and slightly spreading in habit, but it is highly branched.

Description

Genus and species: Coleus scutellarioides.

Cultivar denomination: ‘UF20-34-1’.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

N/A.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF FEDERAL RESEARCH SUPPORT

N/A.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW CULTIVAR

The invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Coleus plant named ‘UF20-34-1’. The new cultivar ‘UF20-34-1’ originated from an open pollination conducted in May-November 2019 in Citra, Fla. between the female Coleus plant ‘UF19-42-2’ (unpatented) and an unknown male Coleus plant. A single seedling was chosen in May 2020 for further asexual propagation in Gainesville, Fla.

The new cultivar ‘UF20-34-1’ has been reproduced asexually for over 18 months through vegetative meristem tip cuttings and has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successive asexual propagations. ‘UF20-34-1’ was first propagated asexually by vegetative meristem tip cuttings in May 2020 in Gainesville, Fla., and has remained true-to-type since that time.

Plant Breeder's Rights for the new cultivar ‘UF20-34-1’ have not been applied for, and ‘UF20-34-1’ has not been made publicly available more than one year prior to the filing date of this application.

When compared to the female parent ‘UF19-42-2’, the new cultivar ‘UF20-34-1’ has yellow green branches with large leaves that are only slightly longer than they are wide. Leaves of ‘UF20-34-1’ are predominantly dark red with a purplish red center, yellow green margins, and prominent purplish red mid-veins. In contrast, ‘UF19-42-2’ has maroon branches with smaller leaves that are colored dark maroon with dark green margins, with only small traces of light purplish red color on older leaves. ‘UF20-34-1’ has a vigorous upright and spreading habit that is well-branched, growing slightly wider than it grows tall. ‘UF19-42-2’ is equally vigorous and well-branched, but has a more spreading habit, growing wider than it grows tall.

‘UF20-34-1’ was selected for its consistent foliage color patterning, and for its fast growth rate and vigor in the greenhouse and landscape. ‘UF20-34-1’ has tri-colored foliage that is predominantly dark red with consistent purplish red centers, and well-defined yellow green leaf margins. This color combination often changes when plants are grown in either full sun (color shifts to predominantly maroon-brown) or partial shade (color shifts to predominantly green), with the consistent loss of purplish red center color. ‘UF20-34-1’ is exceptional because it is a vigorous plant that maintains all three colors distinctly in sun or partial shade conditions. Vegetative cuttings from ‘UF20-34-1’ form roots in one week and produce consistent tri-color foliage in the greenhouse throughout the production cycle. ‘UF20-34-1’ grows well in full sun or partial shade and can be used as a specimen plant in small spaces or planted in mass for quick growth and long season performance in the summer landscape.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new cultivar ‘UF20-34-1’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype of the new cultivar may vary with variations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature, light intensity, fertilization, irrigation, and application of plant growth regulators without any change in genotype.

The following are the most outstanding and distinguishing characteristics of ‘UF20-34-1’ when grown under normal horticultural practices in Gainesville, Fla.: ‘UF20-34-1’ has the combination of vigorous, upright and spreading growth habit, excellent heat tolerance, and consistent tri-colored leaves that are significantly different than other Coleus plants; it has superior stability in foliage color in both sun and shade conditions, maintaining stable color in all conditions; ‘UF20-34-1’ is a vigorous cultivar with excellent lateral branching, making it suitable for propagators and producers; and ‘UF20-34-1’ has been observed to have long-season performance in landscape trials in Gainesville, Fla.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

This new Coleus cultivar ‘UF20-34-1’ is illustrated by the accompanying photographs, which show the plant's form and foliage. The colors shown are as true as can be reasonably obtained by conventional photographic procedures. FIGS. 2-5 were taken from plants grown eight weeks from unrooted cuttings in July-September 2022 in a glass-covered greenhouse in Gainesville, Fla.

FIG. 1 shows the pedigree of the new Coleus cultivar ‘UF20-34-1’ as shown and described herein;

FIG. 2 shows the growth habit, form, and foliage of the new Coleus cultivar;

FIG. 3 shows a close-up view of the foliage of the new Coleus cultivar;

FIG. 4 shows the adaxial side of an immature leaf (left) and a mature leaf (right) of the new Coleus cultivar, with corresponding R.H.S. color designations; and

FIG. 5 shows the abaxial side of an immature leaf (left) and a mature leaf (right) of the new Coleus cultivar, with corresponding R.H.S. color designations.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE CULTIVAR

Foliage color was determined under full sun conditions in the middle of the day in a glass-covered greenhouse. Color references are to The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London (R.H.S.), 2007 5th Edition. Coleus leaves are rarely one solid color but encompass hues, shades and tints, and color patterns differ from one genotype to another due to varying levels of variegation. The following detailed description of ‘UF20-34-1’ was obtained using ten-week-old plants grown from unrooted cuttings in February-April 2022 in a glass-covered greenhouse in Gainesville, Fla. The plants were propagated in mist for ten days after cuttings were stuck, then grown in one-gallon pots for approximately eight and a half additional weeks.

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

• Botanical classification:
  • • Family.—Lamiaceae.
    • Botanical name.—Coleus scutellarioides.
    • Common name.—Coleus.
    • Cultivar.—‘UF20-34-1’.
• Parentage:
  • • Female or seed parent.—‘UF19-42-2’.
    • Male or pollen parent.—Unknown.
• Plant description:
  • • Habit.—Upright and spreading.
    • Height (from top of soil).—50-55 cm.
    • Width (horizontal plant diameter).—65-70 cm.
• Propagation:
  • • Type cuttings.—Vegetative meristem tip cuttings having at least 1 node.
    • Time to initiate roots.—3-4 days.
    • Time to produce a rooted cutting.—7-10 days.
    • Root habit.—Fibrous.
    • Root description.—Callus forms in 2-3 days, roots initiate in 3-4 days and become a highly branched cutting in 7-10 days.
• Branches:
  • • Quantity per plant.—Approximately 8.
    • Branch color.—RHS 143C (yellow green).
    • Texture.—Smooth.
    • Pubescence.—Not present.
    • Stem description.—Square-shaped stem.
    • Branch diameter.—0.7-0.8 cm at the base of a 40-cm-long branch.
    • Branch length.—40-45 cm.
    • Internode length.—0.5-0.6 cm measured at mid-branch.
    • Anthocyanin.—Not present.
• Foliage description:
  • • Quantity, of leaves per branch.—20-21.
    • Arrangement.—Opposite.
    • Fragrance.—Not fragrant.
    • Shape.—Ovate.
    • Length.—13-14 cm.
    • Width.—10-11 cm.
    • Apex.—Broadly acute.
    • Base.—Attenuate.
    • Margin.—Crenate.
    • Leaf texture.—Upper surface: Pulverulent. Lower surface: Smooth.
    • Venation color.—Upper surface, apex: RHS 60C (purplish red). Upper surface, base: RHS 145C (yellow green). Lower surface: RHS 145C (yellow green).
    • Venation pattern.—Upper surface: Reticulate. Lower surface: Reticulate.
    • Color, immature leaf.—Upper surface, major color: RHS 187A (dark red). Upper surface, margins: RHS 144A (yellow green). Upper surface, area around veins: RHS 58A (purplish red). Lower surface, major color: RHS 147B (yellow green). Lower surface, margins: RHS 140A (yellow green). Lower surface, area around veins: RHS 157A (pale yellow green).
    • Color, mature leaf.—Upper surface, major: RHS 187A (dark red). Upper surface, margins: RHS 143A (yellow green). Upper surface, area around veins: RHS 61A (purplish red). Lower surface, major color: RHS 147B (yellow green). Lower surface, margins: RHS 140A (yellowish green). Lower surface, area around veins: RHS 157A (pale yellow green).
    • Petiole length.—3-3.5 cm.
    • Petiole diameter.—0.3-0.4 cm.
    • Petiole color.—RHS 144D (yellow green).
    • Petiole texture.—Smooth, no pubescence.
• Flowers and seeds: Flowers and seeds have not been observed to date during formal trials in Gainesville, Fla.
• Fruit/seed set: Fruit/seed not observed.
• Disease and insect resistance: Disease and insect resistance is typical of the species, thus no claims are made of any superior disease or insect resistance with this cultivar. The most common insect pests observed on this plant in Gainesville, Fla. have been long-tailed or citrus mealybugs (Pseudococcus spp.), which occur on older stock plant material held in the greenhouse for over 3-4 months. Impatiens Necrotic Spot Virus (Bunyaviridae) has also been observed in plants confined in greenhouses with mixed crops (peppers) infected with Western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis). The most common pathogen of this species in the U.S. is downy mildew (Perononspora lamii). This pathogen has been observed in stock materials grown closely together in cooler growing seasons.

COMPARISON WITH KNOWN CULTIVARS

When the new cultivar ‘UF20-34-1’ is compared to the commercial cultivar ‘UF18-51-6’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 34,848, commercial name “Mainstreet Orchard Road”), ‘UF20-34-1’ has mature leaves with a lighter purplish red center coloration on the upper surface, whereas ‘UF18-51-6’ has mature leaves with a deeper purplish red center coloration on the upper surface. Additionally, the yellow green coloration on the leaf margins of ‘UF20-34-1’ is much thinner compared to the broader yellow green coloration on the leaf margins of ‘UF18-51-6’.

Claims

1. A new and distinct Coleus scutellarioides plant named ‘UF20-34-1’ as shown and described herein.