Sweet Dreams

Coreopsis

Variety Description

Variety used for comparison: 'American Dreams'

Summary: 'Sweet Dreams' differs from the reference variety, 'American Dreams', in flower and foliage colour, ray floret colour and markings, and flower head diameter. The ray florets of 'Sweet Dreams' are bi-coloured (white at the outer edge with a red-purple toward the base) whereas they are a solid soft pink-purple (mauve) in 'American Dream'. The foliage of 'Sweet Dreams' is a darker green than that of 'American Dreams'. The diameter of the inflorescence and disc florets of 'Sweet Dreams' are larger than those of 'American Dreams'.

Description:

'Sweet Dreams' is a vegetatively propagated perennial coreopsis variety with a bushy, rounded to spreading growth habit with a medium degree of branching. The smooth, light green stems are medium in thickness with weak to medium anthocyanin colouration and very sparse pubescence. The pinnately compound leaves are opposite in arrangement, have 2-4 leaflets per leaf which are linear in shape with a blunt acute apex, attenuate base and entire margins. They are medium green and smooth on both surfaces. There is no variegation of the leaves. Leaf petioles are absent. The peduncle has no anthocyanin colouration or pubescence.

'Sweet Dreams' flowers almost continuously, starting late spring. The inflorescence of 'Sweet Dreams' is a flower head which are both terminal and axillary in location. Flower attitude is semi-erect with few ray florets. The ray florets are open to touching with a straight to very weakly incurving longitudinal axis of majority. The florets are obovate with an emarginate apex and very weak pubescence along the ribs/veins. Disc florets are present.

Origin & Breeding History: 'Sweet Dreams' is a naturally occurring mutation of 'American Dreams'. It was discovered in a group of flowering plants of the parent cultivar in Loomis, California, United States in July, 1996. Selection of this variety was based on its unique ray floret colouration.

Tests & Trials: Tests and trials for 'Sweet Dreams' were conducted in the greenhouse at Yoder Canada Ltd. during the spring and summer of 2002. Trials consisted of a minimum of 15 plants per variety with one cutting per 11 cm square pot. Colour characteristics were determined using the 2001 RHS colour chart. Measured characteristics were based on 10 measurements.

Comparison tables for 'Sweet Dreams' with reference variety 'American Dreams'

Leaf blade length (mm)

Peduncle length (mm)

Inflorescence diameter (mm)

Floret length (mm)

Main colour of ray floret(RHS)

Secondary colour of ray floret (RHS)

Disc diameter (mm)