USOOPP24251P2

(12) United States Plant Patent (10) Patent No.: US PP24.251 P2 WOOd (45) Date of Patent: Feb. 18, 2014

(54) VIBURNUM PLANT NAMED “SPIRO (52) U.S. Cl. USPC ...... Pt./226 (50) Latin Name: Viburnum carlesi Varietal Denomination: Spiro (58) Field of Classification Search USPC ...... Pt/226 (75) Inventor: Timothy D. Wood, Spring Lake, MI See application file for complete search history. (US) Primary Examiner — Susan McCormick Ewoldt (73) Assignee: Spring Meadow Nursery, Inc., Grand (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm — C. A. Whealy Haven, MI (US) (*) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this (57) ABSTRACT patent is extended or adjusted under 35 A new and distinct cultivar of Viburnum plant named Spiro, U.S.C. 154(b) by 89 days. characterized by its upright and somewhat outwardly spread ing planthabit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; (21) Appl. No.: 13/506.504 red purple-colored flower buds; numerous strongly fragrant (22) Filed: Apr. 23, 2012 light pink to white-colored flowers; and good garden perfor aCC. (51) Int. Cl. AOIH 5/00 (2006.01) 2 Drawing Sheets

1. 2 Botanical designation: Viburnum carlesii. 3. Freely branching habit. Cultivar denomination: SPIRO. 4. Red purple-colored flower buds. 5. Numerous strongly fragrant light pink to white-colored BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION flowers. 6. Good garden performance. The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar Plants of the new Viburnum can be compared to plants of of Viburnum plant, botanically known as Viburnum carlesii the female parent selection. Plants of the new Viburnum differ and hereinafter referred to by the name Spiro. from plants of the female parent selection in the following The new Viburnum plant is a product of a planned breeding characteristics: program conducted by the Inventor in Grand Haven, Mich. 10 1. Plants of the new Viburnum are more vigorous than The objective of the breeding program is to develop new plants of the female parent selection. fragrant Viburnum plants with unique and attractive foliage 2. Flower buds of plants of the new Viburnum are darker in and flower coloration. color than flower buds of plants of the female parent The new Viburnum plant originated from an open-pollina Selection. tion in 1999 of an unnamed selection of Viburnum Carlesii, 15 3. Flowers of plants of the new Viburnum are more fragrant not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown than flowers of plants of the female parent selection. selection of Viburnum carlesii, not patented, as the male, or Plants of the new Viburnum can be compared to plants of pollen, parent. The new Viburnum plant was discovered and the Viburnum carlesii Compactum, not patented. Plants of selected by the Inventor in 2009 as a single flowering plant the new Viburnum differ from plants of Compactum in the from within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a following characteristics: controlled environment in Grand Haven, Mich. 1. Plants of the new Viburnum are not as compact as plants Asexual reproduction of the new Viburnum plant by soft of Compactum. wood cuttings in a controlled environment in Grand Haven, 2. Plants of the new Viburnum are faster growing than Mich. since the spring of 2009 has shown that the unique plants of Compactum. features of this new Viburnum plant are stable and reproduced 25 3. Flower buds of plants of the new Viburnum are darker in true to type in Successive generations of asexual reproduction. color than flower buds of plants of Compactum. 4. Flowers of plants of the new Viburnum are more fragrant SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION than flowers of plants of Compactum. Plants of the new Viburnum have not been observed under 30 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS all possible environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in envi The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the over ronmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity all appearance of the new Viburnum plant showing the colors without, however, any variance in genotype. as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored repro The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are 35 ductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ determined to be the unique characteristics of Spiro. These slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical characteristics in combination distinguish Spiro as a new description which accurately describe the colors of the new and distinct Viburnum plant: Viburnum plant. 1. Upright and somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit. The photograph on the first sheet is a side perspective view 2. Vigorous growth habit. of a typical plant of Spiro grown in an outdoor nursery. US PP24.251 P2 3 4 The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a Petiole. Length: About 4 mm. Diameter: About 3 mm. developing inflorescence of Spiro. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 138B. DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION Flower description: 5 Flower appearance and arrangement. Single salver The aforementioned photographs and following observa form flowers arranged in terminal cymes; freely flow tions, measurements and values describe plants of the new ering habit with usually about 61 flowers perinflores Viburnum grown during the spring in ground beds in an out cence; flowers face upright to outwardly. door nursery in Grand Haven, Mich. and under cultural prac Natural flowering season. Continuous flowering from tices which closely approximate commercial Viburnum pro 10 the late spring to early summer in Grand Haven, duction. Plants were one year old when the photographs and Mich.: flowers last about four to six weeks on the plant the description were taken. In the description, color refer and about two to three weeks as a cut flower; flowers ences are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour not persistent. Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary Fragrance.—Strongly fragrant; Sweet, pleasant. dictionary significance are used. 15 Inflorescence height. About 7 cm. Botanical classification: Viburnum carlesii Spiro. Inflorescence diameter. About 8 cm. Parentage: Flower diameter. About 2 cm. Female, or seed, parent. Unnamed selection of Vibur Flower length (height). About 1.5 cm. num carlesii, not patented. Flower bud.-Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 4 Male, or pollen, parent. Unknown selection of Vibur 20 mm. Shape: Club-shaped. Color: Close to 58A. num carlesii, not patented. Petals. Quantity per flower: Single whorl of five. Propagation: Length: About 7 mm. Width: About 5 mm. Lobe Tipe. By softwood cuttings. shape: Rounded. Apex: Obtuse. Margin: Entire, undu Time to initiate roots, summer. About 20 days at 25°C. late. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, gla Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 25 brous. Color: When opening, upper and lower Sur three months at 25°C. faces: Close to 66D. Fully opened, upper surface: Root description. Fine to thick, fibrous. Close to 155C tinged with close to 73D; color becom Rooting habit. Freely branching; dense. ing closer to 155D with development. Fully opened, Plant description: lower surface: Close to 66D and 73D. Plant and growth habit. Deciduous perennial shrub: 30 Sepals. Quantity per flower. Two. Length: About 3 upright and somewhat outwardly spreading plant mm to 4 mm. Width: About 2 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. habit; vigorous growth habit. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and Branching habit. Freely branching habit with numer lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When open ous primary lateral branches; pinching (removal of ing, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 143B. Fully terminal apices) will enhance lateral branch develop 35 opened, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 143B. ment. Peduncles. Length: About 2 cm. Diameter: About 3 Plant height. About 1.4 meters. mm. Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Plant diameter (area of spread). About 1 meter. Close to 138C. Lateral branch description: Pedicels. Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 2 Length. About 27 cm. 40 mm. Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Diameter. About 5 mm. Close to 138C. Internode length. About 10 cm. Reproductive organs. Androecium: Quantity per Texture. Developing stems, pubescent; developed flower: About five. Anther shape: Oblong. Anther stems, smooth, glabrous. size: About 1 mm by 0.3 mm. Anther color: Close to Strength. Strong. 45 138B. Amount of pollen: Scarce. Pollen color: Close Aspect. About 20° to 40° from vertical. to 138D. Gynoecium: Quantity perflower: One. Pistil Color, developing.—Close to 197B. length: About 1 mm. Style length: About 0.5 mm. Color, developed.—Close to 197A. Style color: Close to 138D. Stigma shape: Three Foliage description: parted, flat. Stigma color: Close to 177A. Ovary color: Arrangement. Opposite, simple. 50 Close to 178B. Length. About 11 cm. Seeds and fruits. Seed and fruit development have not Width. About 7 cm. been observed on plants of the new Viburnum. Shape. Ovate. Garden performance: Plants of the new Viburnum have been Apex'.-Acute. observed to have good garden performance and to tolerate Base. Obtuse. 55 rain, wind and temperatures ranging from about -15°C. to Margin. Serrate. about 35° C. Texture, upper and lower surfaces. Pubescent. Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Viburnum have Venation pattern. Pinnate. not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests Color. Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to common to Viburnum plants. 137B. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 60 138B. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to It is claimed: 137A: venation, close to 138B. Fully expanded 1. A new and distinct Viburnum plant named Spiro as leaves, lower surface: Close to 138B; venation, close illustrated and described. to 138B. ck *k ck ck ck U.S. Patent Feb. 18, 2014 Sheet 1 of 2 US PP24.251 P2

U.S. Patent Feb. 18, 2014 Sheet 2 of 2 US PP24.251 P2