Spearmint

Heuchera

Variety Description

Variety used for comparison: 'Paris'

Summary: The plants of 'Spearmint' are narrower than those of 'Paris'. The upper side of the young leaf blade of 'Spearmint' is medium green to light green while that of 'Paris' is light green. The leaf blade of 'Spearmint' is rounded while that of 'Paris' is very slightly to slightly elongated. Colour one on the upper side of the mature leaf blade of 'Spearmint' is dark green to medium brown green distributed along the veins and the margin while that of 'Paris' is dark brown green distributed along the veins only. Colour two on the upper side of the mature leaf blade of 'Spearmint' is medium grey green while that of 'Paris' is medium grey green to brown grey. The flowering part of the flowering stem of 'Spearmint' is larger than that of 'Paris'. The flower of 'Spearmint' is medium to long while that of 'Paris' is short to medium length. The outer side of the flower is dark red to red pink to light blue pink for 'Spearmint' while it is dark to light blue pink for 'Paris'.

Description:

PLANT: medium to dense foliage

PETIOLE: light green (RHS 145A), sparse pubescence
YOUNG LEAF BLADE (UPPER SIDE): medium green (RHS 144A) to light green (RHS 144C) distributed throughout in a solid or nearly solid pattern over a large area
LEAF BLADE: roundish length to width ratio, rounded apex, absent or very shallow to shallow lobing, few very shallow indentations of margin, weak undulation of margin, weak to medium rugosity
LEAF BLADE (UPPER SIDE): weak glossiness, sparse pubescence, colour one is dark green (RHS 136B) to medium brown green (RHS 136C) distributed along veins and margin over a small to medium area, colour two is medium grey green (RHS 189C to 191C) distributed between veins throughout in a solid or nearly solid pattern over a medium to large area
LEAF BLADE (LOWER SIDE): dark brown green (RHS N138C), sparse pubescence

TIME OF FLOWERING: begins mid-season
FLOWERING STEM: upright attitude, dark purple red (RHS 187C-D), length to width ratio of flowering part moderately to strongly elongated, medium to dense density of flowers
FLOWER BUD: medium purple (RHS 70B) to dark blue pink (RHS 70C)
FLOWER: semi-downwards attitude, medium to long, medium width, dark red to red pink (RHS 53B-C) to light blue pink (RHS 69A-B) outer side

Origin & Breeding History: 'Spearmint' originated from a controlled cross conducted by the breeder, Hans Hansen, in Zeeland, Michigan, USA on April 11, 2013. The cross was made between the female parent, a proprietary unreleased hybrid known by the breeder code 12-287-01, and the male parent variety 'Coral Forest'. From the resulting progeny, seeds were collected from an individual plant at Walters Gardens, Inc. in Zeeland, Michigan and sown by the breeder in late 2013. In the fall of 2015, 'Spearmint' was selected for its foliage colour. 'Spearmint' was first asexually propagated using shoot tip tissue culture in the fall of 2016 in Zeeland, Michigan, USA.

Tests & Trials: The comparative trial for 'Spearmint' was conducted outdoors during the summer of 2021 at Variety Rights Management in Oxford Station, Ontario. The trial included 20 plants each of the candidate and reference variety. The plants were grown in 16 cm pots with 40 cm spacing between pots under a galvanized steel structure covered with black mesh shade fabric. The observations and measurements were taken from 10 plants, or 10 parts of plants, of each variety in late June of 2021. All colour determinations were made using the 2015 Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Colour Chart.

Comparison tables for 'Spearmint' with reference variety 'Paris'

Plant width (cm)

Colour of young leaf blade (RHS)

Colour of upper side of mature leaf blade (RHS)

Length of flowering part of flowering stem (cm)

Width of flowering part of flowering stem (cm)

Colour of flower (RHS)

Click on image for larger view

Heuchera: 'Spearmint' (left) with reference variety 'Paris' (right)