Sweet Dreams

Lavatera

Variety Description

Variety used for comparison: 'Candy Floss'

Summary: 'Sweet Dreams' has a wider plant width than 'Candy Floss'. 'Sweet Dreams' has a narrower leaf blade width and shorter petiole length than 'Candy Floss'. 'Sweet Dreams' has a very open petal arrangement while 'Candy Floss' has a slightly less open arrangement. 'Sweet Dreams' has a smaller floret diameter and has a lighter flower colour than 'Candy Floss'.

Description:

'Sweet Dreams' is a vegetatively reproduced, perennial lavatera variety. 'Sweet Dreams' has an upright bushy growth habit with medium to dense branching. The stems are dark green in colour and have medium to strong anthocyanin. The stems have no glaucosity and have medium pubescence. The stems are medium to wide in thickness and smooth in shape.

The simple leaves are ovate in shape with an acute shaped apex and hastate shaped base. The leaf margin is crenate with palmate lobing. The upper and lower side of the leaf blade has sparse pubescence and no glaucosity. The upper side of the leaf blade is dark green in colour and there is no leaf variegation. The leaf petiole has no anthocyanin.

'Sweet Dreams' flowers mid-season and flowers almost continuously for a medium period of time. The inflorescence is a raceme and is both terminal and axillary in position. The inflorescence has an erect attitude and is long in length. There are five petals which are very open in arrangement. The petals are obcordate in shape with a deeply emarginate apex. The petals have no pubescence on the upper side. The petals are light blue pink in colour and have darker colour along the veins.

Origin & Breeding History: 'Sweet Dreams' was selected from a seedling population of a controlled cross made in 1995 in Hummelo, The Netherlands. The female parent was Lavatera thuringiaca and the pollen parent was Lavatera cachemiriana. The objective of the breeding program was to create new Lavatera varieties that were hardy and had improved floral traits, foliage traits and plant shape.

Tests & Trials: 'Sweet Dreams' was tested at Oxford Station, Ontario in the summer/fall of 2004. The trial included 10 plants per variety which were grown in the field. Plants were spaced .50 meters apart within the row and rows were 1 meter apart. All colour characteristics were determined using the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Colour Chart (1995 green box edition) and measured characteristics were based on ten measurements.

Comparison tables for 'Sweet Dreams' with reference variety 'Candy Floss'

Plant width (cm)

Leaf blade width (cm)

Petiole length (cm)

Floret diameter (cm)

Main petal colour (RHS)

Secondary petal colour (RHS)