Pink Supreme

Monarda

Variety Description

Variety used for comparison: 'Marshall's Delight'

Summary: The plants of 'Pink Supreme' are taller with darker green leaves and longer petioles than those of 'Marshall's Delight'. The inflorescence of 'Pink Supreme' has a larger diameter and is taller than those of 'Marshall's Delight'. 'Pink Supreme' has larger flower bracts than 'Marshall's Delight'. Flower colour for 'Pink Supreme' is bright purple red while it is bright blue pink for 'Marshall's Delight'. 'Pink Supreme' is more susceptible to powdery mildew than 'Marshall's Delight'.

Description:

'Pink Supreme' is a perennial type, vegetatively propagated monarda variety with an upright, bushy plant growth habit and moderate degree of branching. The medium thick and smooth stems are medium green with absent to very weak anthocyanin colouration and glaucosity. Pubescence of the stem is absent to very sparse. The leaves are simple and their arrangement along the stems is opposite. The leaf blade is ovate in shape with an acuminate apex, cordate base and serrate margin. The upper side of the leaf blade has absent to very weak glaucosity. Both the upper and lower sides of the leaf blade are medium green with no variegation and have sparse pubescence. The petiole has weak anthocyanin.

Flowering for 'Pink Supreme' begins mid-season and is almost continuous for a long period of time. The inflorescence is a head type and the flowers are arranged in terminal locations on the stems. The attitude of the flowers is erect. The flower bracts are large and dark green. The flowers are bright purple red.

Origin & Breeding History: 'Pink Supreme' is a selection from a seed bed of hybrid Monarda seedlings that were produced from various crosses of unidentified Monarda seedling selections. The selection of 'Pink Supreme' took place in Rijpwetering in 1995 and was based on its unique flower colour and plant growth habit.

Tests & Trials: The test and trial for 'Pink Supreme' was conducted in a field at Variety Rights Management, Oxford Station, Ontario during the summer/fall of 2004. The trial consisted of 10 plants of each variety planted in rows. The plants were spaced approximately 0.50 metres apart and the rows were 0.75 metres 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 'Pink Supreme' with reference variety 'Marshall's Delight'

Plant height (cm)

Petiole length (mm)

Inflorescence diameter (cm)

Inflorescence height (cm)

Flower colour (RHS)