NCLX1

Privet

Variety Description

Variety used for comparison: 'Vicary'

Summary: The plants of 'NCLX1' are wider than those of 'Vicary'. The plants of 'NCLX1' have dense branching while the plants of 'Vicary' have medium density branching. The stems of 'NCLX1' are thin to medium thickness whereas the stems of 'Vicary' are thick. The leaf blade of 'NCLX1' is smaller than that of 'Vicary'. The inflorescence and flower of 'NCLX1' are both smaller than those of 'Vicary'.

Description:

PLANT: shrub type, globose overall shape, bushy growth habit, dense branching, slow to medium growth rate
STEM: grey brown, thin to medium thickness, absent or very sparse pubescence, round shape in cross section, smooth bark texture, absent or very weak glaucosity, absent or very few lenticels, absent or few thorns/spines

LEAF: simple type, opposite arrangement on the stem
LEAF BLADE: ovate and elliptic, acuminate to acute apex, obtuse base, entire margin, no lobing, no variegation, weak rugosity, medium waviness of margin
UPPER SIDE OF LEAF BLADE: absent or very sparse pubescence, at emergence in spring light green (RHS N144A), mid-season light green (RHS N144A) and light green to dark green (RHS 145A-144A)
LOWER SIDE OF LEAF BLADE: absent or very sparse pubescence, mid-season yellow to light green, very weak to weak intensity of anthocyanin colouration on veins
PETIOLE: absent or very weak intensity of anthocyanin colouration

FLOWER BUD: white (RHS NN155A)
FLOWER: terminal panicle type inflorescence, rotate corolla, upper side and lower side white (RHS NN155C), strong fragrance

FRUIT: rarely produced

Origin & Breeding History: 'NCLX1' originated from a cross conducted by Thomas Green Ranney in the spring of 2007 in Mills River, North Carolina, USA. The cross was made between Ligustrum ×vicaryi as the female parent and the Ligustrum tschonshii variety 'Little Thomas' as the male parent. The new variety was selected in the spring of 2008 based on its plant growth habit, foliage colour and fruit set. Asexual reproduction of 'NCLX1' was first conducted by softwood cuttings in the spring of 2008, in Mills River, North Carolina, USA.

Tests & Trials: The comparative trial for 'NCLX1' was conducted in a an outdoor container trial during the spring and summer of 2016 at Bioflora Inc., in St. Thomas, Ontario. The trial included a total of 12 shrubs each of the candidate and reference variety. All shrubs were grown from rooted cuttings, transplanted into 7.6 litre containers on July 17, 2015. Plants were overwintered in 2015/2016 in an above zero degrees Celsius polyhouse and moved outdoors in May 2016. The trial was arranged outdoors in rows with 1 meter spacing between plants. Observations and measurements were taken from 10 plants or parts of plants of each variety on July 17, 2016. All colour determinations were made using the 2007 Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Colour Chart.

Comparison tables for 'NCLX1' with reference variety 'Vicary'

Plant width (cm)

Leaf blade length (cm)

Leaf blade width (cm)

Inflorescence diameter (cm)

Flower diameter (cm)

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Privet: 'NCLX1' (left) with reference variety 'Vicary' (right)

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Privet: 'NCLX1' (left) with reference variety 'Vicary' (right)

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Privet: 'NCLX1' (left) with reference variety 'Vicary' (right)