Miss America
| Denomination: | 'Miss America' |
|---|---|
| Botanical Name: | Hosta |
| Applicant/Holder: |
Walters Gardens, Inc. 1992 96th Avenue P.O. Box 137 Zeeland, Michigan 49464-0137 United States of America |
| Breeder: |
Hans A. Hansen, Zeeland, United States of America |
| Agent in Canada: |
Variety Rights Management 475 County Road 18 R.R. #2 Oxford Station, Ontario K0G 1T0 Canada Tel: 613-258-9015 |
| Application Date: | 2022-04-27 |
| Provisional Protection: | 2022-04-27 |
| Application Number: | 22-10899 |
Variety Description
Variety used for comparison: 'Night Before Christmas'
Summary: The plant of ‘Miss America' is taller than that of ‘Night Before Christmas'. The leaf blade of ‘Miss America' is longer, has an absent or weak undulation of margin, and absent or weak twisting while that of ‘Night Before Christmas' is shorter, has a medium degree of margin undulation, and a medium degree of twisting. The inflorescence of ‘Miss America' is longer and has medium to many flowers while that of ‘Night Before Christmas' is shorter and has few to medium flowers.
Description:
PLANT: green first scaly leaves
LEAF BLADE: broadest part moderately towards base, broad ovate, cordate base, acute apex, flat to moderately concave in cross section, medium number of parallel veins, absent or very weak bulging, absent or weak blistering, absent or weak undulation of margin, absent or weak twistingLEAF BLADE (COLOUR 1): dark green to dark brown green (RHS 137A-B), medium surface area, distributed at marginal zone, solid or nearly solid pattern
LEAF BLADE (COLOUR 2): light green (RHS 145A/B), small surface area, distributed irregularly, pattern is in sectors
LEAF BLADE (COLOUR 3): white (155A), distributed at centre
PETIOLE: "v" shaped in cross section on inner side, white with green edges, no anthocyanin colouration
INFLORESCENCE: medium to many flowers, horizontal to drooping attitude, white (RHS NN155B) bracts
FLOWER: single
OUTER COROLLA LOBE: outer side medium blue violet to light violet (RHS N87D to 76B), acute apex
COROLLA TUBE: outer side medium blue violet to light violet (RHS N87D to 76B)
ANTHER: yellow brown
Origin & Breeding History: 'Miss America' originated from a cross conducted on July 29, 2013, in Zeeland, Michigan, USA. The cross was made between the proprietary variety ‘American Sweetheart Streaked' and the variety 'Elatior'. Initial selections were made in the summer of 2015 based on foliage type, foliage colour, plant habit, and flower characteristics. The first propagation by shoot tip tissue culture began in 2017.
Tests & Trials: The comparative trial for 'Miss America' was conducted outdoors under black mesh fabric, during the summer of 2025, at Variety Rights Management in Oxford Station, Ontario. The trial included 20 plants each of the candidate and reference variety grown outdoors under a galvanized steel structure covered with black mesh shade fabric. Plants were individually potted in 22 cm diameter pots spaced 45 cm apart. Observations and measurements were taken from 10 plants, or 10 parts of plants, of each variety. All colour determinations were made using 2015 Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Colour Chart. Mean differences were significant at the 5% confidence probability level based on a paired Student's t-test.
Comparison tables for 'Miss America' with reference variety 'Night Before Christmas'
Plant height (cm)
| 'Miss America' | 'Night Before Christmas' | |
|---|---|---|
| mean | 40.0 | 32.8 |
| std. deviation | 3.51 | 1.83 |
Leaf blade length (cm)
| 'Miss America' | 'Night Before Christmas' | |
|---|---|---|
| mean | 16.9 | 10.5 |
| std. deviation | 1.62 | 1.21 |
Inflorescence length (cm)
| 'Miss America' | 'Night Before Christmas' | |
|---|---|---|
| mean | 95.7 | 54.0 |
| std. deviation | 10.13 | 8.21 |
Click on image for larger view
Hosta: ‘Miss America' (left) with reference variety ‘Night Before Christmas' (right)
Click on image for larger view
Hosta: ‘Miss America' (left) with reference variety ‘Night Before Christmas' (right)
- Date modified: