Eye Spy

Heucherella

Variety Description

Variety used for comparison: 'Catching Fire'

Summary: Excluding the flowering stems, the plants of 'Eye Spy' are taller and wider than those of 'Catching Fire'. The young leaf blade for 'Eye Spy' is green brown to light yellow brown while that of 'Catching Fire' is light green. The petiole for 'Eye Spy' is longer than that of 'Catching Fire'. The leaf blade for 'Eye Spy' is longer and wider than that of 'Catching Fire'. The leaf blade for 'Eye Spy' has an acute apex and medium depth of lobing while that of 'Catching Fire' has a rounded apex and shallow lobing. The leaf blade for 'Eye Spy' has absent or very weak undulation of margin and absent or very weak rugosity while the leaf blade of 'Catching Fire' has strong undulation of margin and strong rugosity. The flowering stem for 'Eye Spy' is shorter and has a shorter and narrower flowering part than that of 'Catching Fire'. The flowering stem for 'Eye Spy' has medium to dense flowers while that of 'Catching Fire' has a sparse to medium density of flowers. The flower bud for 'Eye Spy' is purple red while it is white for 'Catching Fire'.

Description:

PLANT: medium density of foliage

PETIOLE: medium pubescence, dark purple red (RHS 187C)
YOUNG LEAF BLADE: large area of solid or nearly solid green brown (RHS 151A) to light yellow brown (RHS 160A) pattern distributed between veins throughout, small area of solid or nearly solid and dotted pattern of dark purple red (RHS 187D) distributed along veins
LEAF BLADE: slightly elongated length to width ratio, acute apex, medium depth of lobing, medium to long terminal lobe relative to total length, medium number of indentations of margin of medium depth, absent or very weak undulation of margin, absent or very weak degree of rugosity, absent or very weak glossiness, sparse pubescence on upper side, absent or very sparse pubescence on lower side
LEAF BLADE COLOUR: large area of solid or nearly solid light green (RHS N144D to 145A) between veins throughout, small area of solid or nearly solid and dotted pattern of dark purple red (RHS 187C) along veins

FLOWERING STEM: upright attitude, dark purple red or brown purple (RHS 185A/B), moderately elongated length to width ratio, medium to dense flowers
FLOWER BUD: purple red (RHS 59D to 60D)
FLOWER: semi-upwards to outwards attitude, short, narrow, white (RHS NN155D) outer surface
PETAL COLOUR: white inner surface

Origin & Breeding History: 'Eye Spy' originated as a result of a cross made between a proprietary Heuchera selection, as the female parent, and a proprietary Tiarella selection, as the male parent. The cross occurred in 2012, in Zeeland, Michigan, USA. The method of breeding was recurrent selection with initial plant selections made in 2013 based on flower colour and plant habit. Initial propagation of the variety was conducted by shoot tissue culture in 2013.

Tests & Trials: The comparative trial for 'Eye Spy' was conducted in a galvanized steel structure covered with black mesh shade fabric during the summer of 2019, at Variety Rights Management in Oxford Station, Ontario. The plants were grown in 16 cm round pots, one plant per pot with 40 cm spacing between the pots. Observations and measurements were taken from 10 plants of each variety. All colour determinations were made using the 2015 Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Colour Chart.

Comparison tables for 'Eye Spy' with reference variety 'Catching Fire'

Plant height (excluding the flowering stems) (cm)

Plant width (cm)

Young leaf blade colour (RHS)

Petiole length (cm)

Leaf blade length (cm)

Leaf blade width (cm)

Flowering stem length (cm)

Flowering part of flowering stem length (cm)

Flowering part of flowering stem width (cm)

Flower bud colour (RHS)

Click on image for larger view

Heucherella: 'Eye Spy' (left) with reference variety 'Catching Fire' (right)