Balsomenco

Coneflower

Variety Description

Variety used for comparison: 'Tangerine Dream'

Summary: The plants of 'Balsomenco' are shorter with denser branching than those of 'Tangerine Dream'. The stem of 'Balsomenco' has many leaves whereas the stem of 'Tangerine Dream' has few leaves. The upper side of the leaf of 'Balsomenco' is dark green while the leaf of 'Tangerine Dream' is medium green. 'Balsomenco' has a shorter ray floret than 'Tangerine Dream'. When newly open, the main colour on the inner side of the ray floret of 'Balsomenco' is orange red with a strong overcolour of red while the ray floret of 'Tangerine Dream' is yellow orange with orange and orange brown overcolour. When fully open, the ray floret of 'Balsomenco' is red to orange brown with orange red at the apex while the ray floret of 'Tangerine Dream' is orange red with a duller red ground colour. When aged, the inner side of the ray floret of 'Balsomenco' is red with orange red at the apex while the ray floret of 'Tangerine Dream' is yellow orange with a darker yellow orange undertone and darker yellow orange at the base.

Description:

PLANT: upright growth habit, medium floriferousness, dense
STEM: green, many leaves

LEAF: broadest part positioned strongly towards base, dark green on upper side, no variegation, weak to medium rugosity, absent or very weak glossiness, absent or very few indentations along margin

PEDUNCLE: green, medium density of pubescence
FLOWER HEAD: 13 to 21 ray florets, horizontal to semi-drooping attitude of ray florets from basal end, all or almost all ligulate type ray florets, no spatulate or quilled ray florets
RAY FLORET: when newly open inner side is orange red (RHS N25A) with strong overcolour of red (RHS 34A), when fully open inner side is red to orange brown (RHS 34A-B) with orange red (RHS N25A) at apex, when aged inner side is red (RHS 50A) with orange red (RHS N25A) at apex, weakly reflexing, weak twisting, profile is weakly convex in cross-section, rounded apex, shallow and medium depth of indentations at tip
DISC: daisy type, low height/diameter ratio becomes medium to high when aged, medium diameter in relation to flower head, red and yellow-green paleae, no ray florets within disc

Origin & Breeding History: 'Balsomenco' originated from a cross pollination between the proprietary seedling designated 'E30-2', as the female parent, and a bulk pollen mixture from seven proprietary breeding selections designated 'E30-1' through to 'E30-7', as the male parent. The cross was conducted in September 2007 as part of a controlled breeding program in Elburn, Illinois, USA. The initial selection of 'Balsomenco' in October 2008 was based on its flower colour, petal width, and very good branching habit. Asexual propagation since that time has been through the use of vegetative cuttings.

Tests & Trials: The comparative trial for 'Balsomenco' was conducted in a polyhouse during the summer of 2014 at BioFlora Inc. in St. Thomas, Ontario. The trial included a total of 20 plants each of the candidate and reference variety. All plants were grown from rooted plants transplanted into 3.8 liter containers in May 2014. Observations and measurements were taken from 10 plants or parts of plants of each variety on July 22, 2014. All colour determinations were made using the 2007 Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Colour Chart.

Comparison tables for 'Balsomenco' with reference variety 'Tangerine Dream'

Plant height (cm)

Length of ray floret (cm)

Main colour of inner side of ray floret (RHS)

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Coneflower: 'Balsomenco' (left) with reference variety 'Tangerine Dream' (right)

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Coneflower: 'Balsomenco' (left) with reference variety 'Tangerine Dream' (right)

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Coneflower: 'Balsomenco' (left) with reference variety 'Tangerine Dream' (right)