ZLEMichael

Ninebark

Variety Description

Variety used for comparison: 'Tiny Wine Gold'

Summary: The plants of 'ZLEMichael' are narrower than those of ‘Tiny Wine Gold'. The upper side of the leaf blade of 'ZLEMichael' has a medium degree of glossiness while that of ‘Tiny Wine Gold' has weak glossiness. The main colour of the upper side of the leaf blade of 'ZLEMichael' is medium yellow green with light green when newly opened and light green when fully opened while that of ‘Tiny Wine Gold' is light green when newly opened and medium green when fully opened. The inflorescence and the corolla of 'ZLEMichael' have a smaller diameter than those of ‘Tiny Wine Gold'. The pedicel of 'ZLEMichael' is shorter than that of ‘Tiny Wine Gold'.

Description:

PLANT: deciduous shrub, bushy (upright-mounded) shape, dense foliage

BRANCH: dense, attitude ranging from erect to semi-erect, medium to strong rigidity, brown bark
BRANCHLET: medium density, light green, anthocyanin colouration ranging from weak to strong

PETIOLE: present
LEAF: alternate arrangement along stem
LEAF BLADE: ovate, acute apex, obtuse base, dentate to serrate margin, medium depth lobing, weak to medium degree of folding when newly opened
LEAF BLADE (UPPER SIDE): medium degree of glossiness, absent or very weak prominence of midrib, medium yellow green (RHS 151C) with light green (RHS N144A) when newly opened, light green (RHS 144B-C) when fully opened, medium green (greener and darker than RHS 144A) when mature
LEAF BLADE (LOWER SIDE): strong prominence of midrib, light yellow green (RHS 154D) when newly opened, light green (RHS 145B-145C) when fully opened, light green (RHS 145B-145C) with darker veins when mature, absent or very weak anthocyanin colouration on mid-rib

FLOWER: corymb formation, rotate shape
COROLLA: white (N155B) upper side

Origin & Breeding History: 'ZLEMichael' originated from a controlled cross between the female parent ‘Donna May' and the male parent ‘Dart`s Gold' conducted in St. Paul Minnesota in 2011. Twelve F1 seedlings were allowed to open pollinate in June of 2015 with the resulting F2 seeds sown indoors and selected seedlings grown in containers in 2016. A single F2 seedling was designated 'ZLEMichael' in 2017 based on foliage colour, plant growth habit and disease resistance. Asexual reproduction of 'ZLEMichael' by softwood cuttings was first conducted in 2017 in Cottage Grove, Minnesota, U.S.A.

Tests & Trials: The comparative trial for 'ZLEMichael' was conducted as an outdoor irrigated container trial during the summer of 2025, at BioFlora Inc. in St. Thomas, Ontario. The trial included a total of 10 plants of each of the candidate variety and reference variety. Observations and measurements were taken from a minimum of 8 plants, or parts of plants, of each variety on July 22, 2025. Mean differences were significant at the 5% confidence probability level based on a paired Student's t-test. All colour determinations were made using the 2015 Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Colour Chart.

Comparison tables for 'ZLEMichael' with reference variety 'Tiny Wine Gold'

Plant width (cm)

Colour of upper side of leaf (RHS)

Inflorescence diameter (cm)

Corolla diameter (cm)

Pedicel length (cm)

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Ninebark: ‘ZLEMichael'

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Ninebark: ‘ZLEMichael'

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Ninebark: ‘ZLEMichael'