Yan

Spirea

Variety Description

Variety used for comparison: 'Goldmound'

Summary: The plants of 'Yan' are shorter and narrower than those of 'Goldmound'. In summer, the main colour of the upper side of the mature leaf of 'Yan' is dark to light green whereas the leaf colour is yellow green for 'Goldmound'. The diameter of the inflorescence of 'Yan' is wider than that of 'Goldmound'. The corolla of 'Yan' is purple red whereas it is light blue pink for 'Goldmound'.

Description:

PLANT: perennial shrub, bushy-rounded growth habit, dense foliage

STEM: light green, absent to very weak intensity of anthocyanin colouration, very sparse pubescence, edged in cross section

LEAF: opposite arrangement, simple, ovate and elliptic shape, petioles present, acuminate apex, cuneate base, serrate margin, no pubescence on upper and lower sides
YOUNG LEAF IN SPRINGTIME: light green on upper side, more yellow than green brown (RHS 153D) on lower side
EXPANDED LEAF IN SPRINGTIME: lighter and more yellow than green brown on upper side (RHS 153D), light green on lower side (RHS 145C)
MATURE LEAF IN SUMMER: dark to light green (RHS 144A-B) with light green tones (N144A) on upper side

FLOWERING: early, long period
INFLORESCENCE: corymb
COROLLA: free arrangement of lobes, 5 lobes, rotate, weak recurvature of margin, purple red (RHS 58B-C aging to 58D)
STAMEN: long, pink anther, white pollen

Origin & Breeding History: 'Yan' arose from the open pollination of 'Magic Carpet' with the pollen from an unknown male parent made in the summer of 2004 in Grand Haven, Michigan, USA. The new variety was selected in the summer of 2006 based on its compact growth habit, pink flower colour, attractive yellow foliage and very good mildew resistance. Asexual reproduction of the variety was first conducted in Grand Haven, Michigan in the summer of 2006.

Tests & Trials: Trials for 'Yan' were conducted in St. Thomas, Ontario in a polyhouse during the early spring 2010 and continued in an outdoor irrigated container trial. The trial included 10 plants of the candidate variety and reference variety. All plants were grown from rooted 4 inch liners planted into 2 gallon containers in May 2009. Trials were arranged with 1/2 meter spacing between plants and overwintered in a polyhouse. Most observations and measurements were taken from 10 plants of each variety on May 10, 2010 with the exception of early spring characteristics which were recorded on April 14, 2010. All colour determinations were made using the 2007 RHS Colour Chart.

Comparison tables for 'Yan' with reference variety 'Goldmound'

Plant height (cm)

Plant width (cm)

Main colour of mature leaf in summer (RHS)

Inflorescence diameter (cm)

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Spirea: 'Yan' (left) with reference variety 'Goldmound' (right)

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Spirea: 'Yan' (left) with reference variety 'Goldmound' (right)