HS Juliet

Dahlia

Variety Description

Variety used for comparison: 'Zone 10' (Mystic Dreamer)

Summary: 'HS Juliet' is a Dahlia variety that has simple and pinnate leaves with 3 leaflets. The reference variety 'Zone 10' has predominantly pinnate leaves with 5 leaflets. The leaves of 'HS Juliet' are longer and narrower than the leaves of 'Zone 10'. The leaflet margins of 'HS Juliet' have shallow to medium incisions, while the leaflet margin incisions for 'Zone 10' are medium to deep. The flower heads of 'HS Juliet' are not as high above the foliage as the flower heads of 'Zone 10'. There are also differences in flower colour between the two varieties.

Description:

PLANT: upright habit, tall, brownish red to purple stem

LEAF: simple and pinnate, moderate wing, medium to long, very narrow to narrow, dark green tinged with purple, weak glossiness, smooth texture, depressed to flat veins
LEAFLET: ovate shape, attenuate base, medium number of shallow to medium depth incisions
PEDUNCLE: very long, green tinged with brownish red or purple

FLOWER HEAD: moderately above foliage, upright to semi-upright, single, daisy type disc, no collar segments, very few ray florets
RAY FLORET: keeled upper surface, two keels, weakly concave in cross section at mid-point, weakly concave to flat at 3/4 point from base, no rolling of margin, straight to reflexing longitudinal axis, very weak curvature of distal quarter, absent or very weak twisting, mamillate apex
RAY FLORET INNER SIDE: more than two colours, purple main colour with darker purple flush at tip and distal quarter, solid purple third colour at base
RAY FLORET OUTER SIDE: similar colour to inner side
DISC: small diameter relative to flower head, red brown before anther dehiscence, yellow at dehiscence

Origin & Breeding History: 'HS Juliet' was developed at a nursery in Lisse, The Netherlands and originated from an open pollinated cross between two unidentified Dahlia plants in 1998. A single seedling was selected in 1999 in Lisse, based on criteria for flower colour, plant habit, dark foliage colour and self-cleaning flowers.

Tests & Trials: 'HS Juliet' was tested in an outdoor trial during the spring of 2008 in St. Thomas, Ontario. The trial consisted of a total of 15 plants per variety. All plants were grown from rooted cuttings and transplanted into 20 cm pots on May 23, 2008. Observations and measurements were taken from 10 plants of each variety on June 26, 2008. All colour measurements were made using the 2001 Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Colour Chart.

Comparison tables for 'HS Juliet' with reference variety 'Zone 10'

Leaf length (cm)

Leaf width (cm)

Colour of upper side of ray floret (RHS)

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Dahlia: 'HS Juliet' (left) with reference variety 'Zone 10' (right)

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Dahlia: 'HS Juliet' (left) with reference variety 'Zone 10' (right)

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Dahlia: 'HS Juliet' (left) with reference variety 'Zone 10' (right)