Balhiblu

Hibiscus

Variety Description

Variety used for comparison: 'Disco Belle Pink'

Summary: 'Balhiblu' is a hibiscus variety that has flowers which are smaller in diameter than the flowers of the reference variety 'Disco Belle Pink'. The petals of 'Balhiblu' are shorter than those of 'Disco Belle Pink'. Both varieties have a white main colour on the upper side of the petals but the secondary colour of 'Balhiblu' is a lighter pink than 'Disco Belle Pink'.

Description:

'Balhiblu' is a hibiscus variety which has upright plants with sparse to moderate branching. The stems are light green, with no anthocyanin colouration, and very weak or no pubescence. The primary branch is thick and the secondary branches are medium in thickness. 'Balhiblu' has simple leaves which are medium green in colour, with very short, moderately dense pubescence on the blade. The leaf is ovate in shape, with an obtuse to cordate base and acuminate apex. The leaf margin has shallow serrate incisions and is weakly undulating. There is no lobe development on the leaf blades.

'Balhiblu' has single, bicoloured flowers which are open for one day. The petals are moderately overlapping and are fan shaped. The upper side of each petal is creamy white with pink at the petal margins. There is a large, red basal spot. The petal margins are weakly undulating. The pistil of 'Balhiblu' is greenish yellow. The style and anther (after dehiscence) are both light yellow.

Origin & Breeding History: 'Balhiblu' originated in a controlled breeding program in Elburn, Illinois, during September 2000. The female parent was the proprietary Hibiscus moscheutos breeding selection 102-5-1, which exhibits a very compact habit and white flowers. The male parent of 'Balhiblu' was the breeding selection 116-23-3, characterized by its medium compact growth habit and very deep pink flowers. The initial selection was made in August 2001. Asexual propagation since that time has been through the use of vegetative cuttings.

Tests & Trials: Tests and trials for 'Balhiblu' were conducted in a polyhouse during the summer of 2005 in St. Thomas, Ontario. The trials consisted of 15 plants per variety. Rooted cuttings were transplanted into 8 inch pots on April 22, 2005. Observations and measurements were taken from 10 plants of each variety on June 21, 2005. All colour measurements were amde using the RHS Colour Chart 2001.

Comparison tables for 'Balhiblu' with reference variety 'Disco Belle Pink'

Flower diameter (cm)

Petal length (cm)

Colour of upper side of petal (RHS)

Click on image for larger view

Hibiscus: 'Balhiblu' (left) with reference variety 'Disco Bell Pink' (right)