SMNPOBLR

Ninebark

Variety Description

Variety used for comparison: 'Mindia' (Coppertina)

Summary: The stiffness of the branch of 'SMNPOBLR' is medium to rigid while that of 'Mindia' is soft to medium. The current year's stem of 'SMNPOBLR' is thicker than that of 'Mindia'. The internode length on the current year's stem of 'SMNPOBLR' is longer than the internode length on the stem of 'Mindia'. The leaf blade of 'SMNPOBLR' is larger than the leaf blade of 'Mindia'. The midrib on the lower side of the leaf of 'SMNPOBLR' has a medium to strong intensity of brown red anthocyanin colouration while the midrib on the lower side of the leaf of 'Mindia' has an absent to weak intensity of light yellow brown anthocyanin colouration.

Description:

PLANT: upright to semi-upright growth habit, medium foliage density, medium number of branches

BRANCH: erect to semi-erect attitude, medium to rigid stiffness, brown bark
CURRENT YEAR'S STEM: brown purple (RHS 183B) and dark purple red (RHS 187B), strong intensity of anthocyanin colouration

LEAF: alternate arrangement along stem
PETIOLE: present
LEAF BLADE: ovate, acute apex, cordate base, serrate and crenate margin, weak to medium depth of sinus between lobes
LEAF BLADE (UPPER SIDE): medium to strong glossiness, weak prominence of midrib, brown purple (RHS 178A) and medium brown (RHS 176A) in spring, newly emerges as brown purple (RHS 178A-B) transitioning to medium brown (redder than RHS 166A) in early summer, dark brown (RHS 200A) in summer
LEAF BLADE (LOWER SIDE): strong prominence of midrib, brown green (RHS 147B) in summer, medium to strong intensity of brown red (RHS 181B-C) anthocyanin colouration of midrib

INFLORESCENCE: corymb formation
FLOWER: rotate shape
COROLLA: white (RHS NN155D) on inner and outer sides

SEED POD: red brown, strong glossiness

Origin & Breeding History: 'SMNPOBLR' originated from an open-pollinated cross conducted by Timothy D. Wood, an employee of Spring Meadow Nursery, Inc., in Grand Haven, Michigan, USA in 2010. The female parent was the variety 'Center Glow' and the male parent was an unknown variety. From the resulting progeny, 'SMNPOBLR' was selected in Grand Haven, Michigan in the summer of 2013 based on leaf colour, stem colour, powdery mildew resistance, flower colour and seed colour. 'SMNPOBLR' was first propagated by softwood cuttings in the summer of 2013 in Grand Haven, Michigan.

Tests & Trials: The comparative trial for 'SMNPOBLR' was conducted as an outdoor irrigated container trial during the summer of 2017, at BioFlora Inc. in St. Thomas, Ontario. The trial included a total of 12 shrubs of the candidate variety and 10 shrubs of the reference variety. All plants were grown from liners and transplanted into 11.4 litre containers on July 15, 2016. All plants were overwintered in an unheated double polyhouse. Observations and measurements were taken from 10 plants, or parts of plants, of each variety on July 16, 2017. Flower data was recorded for the candidate variety on June 3, 2017, and for the reference variety on June 8, 2017. All colour determinations were made using the 2007 Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Colour Chart.

Comparison tables for 'SMNPOBLR' with reference variety 'Mindia'

Thickness of current year's stem (mm)

Internode length of current year's stem (cm)

Leaf blade length (cm)

Leaf blade width (cm)

Colour of anthocyanin on midrib of leaf (RHS)

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Ninebark: 'SMNPOBLR' (left) with reference variety 'Mindia' (right)

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Ninebark: 'SMNPOBLR' (left) with reference variety 'Mindia' (right)

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Ninebark: 'SMNPOBLR' (left) with reference variety 'Mindia' (right)