Matgold

Spirea

Variety Description

Variety used for comparison: 'Goldflame'

Summary: The plants of 'Matgold' are smaller, with denser foliage, than those of 'Goldflame'. The shoot of 'Matgold' is thin while that of 'Goldflame' is of medium thickness. The leaf blade of 'Matgold' is smaller than that of 'Goldflame'. The inflorescence of 'Matgold' is smaller in diameter than that of 'Goldflame'.

Description:

PLANT: upright to spreading growth habit, compact, dense branching, dense foliage

YOUNG SHOOT: red to dark pink red (RHS 45C-D) on upper part, yellow green (RHS 1C) on lower part
SHOOT: grey brown (RHS 199B) to medium brown (RHS 177A), medium pubescence, white pubescence, round in cross-section, thin

LEAF: elliptic shape, acute apex, cuneate base, dentate margin, teeth distributed over entire leaf margin, weak undulation along margin, absent or very sparse pubescence on margin, sparse pubescence on upper side, absent or very sparse pubescence on lower side, absent or very weak glaucosity on lower side, absent or very weak glaucosity on veins of lower side, weak rugosity, petiole present
YOUNG LEAF: light yellow brown (RHS 163B) on upper side with yellow brown (RHS 167C) along the margin, light green (RHS N144D) on lower side, innermost leaves are brown red (RHS 180B-C)
EXPANDED LEAF: dark green (RHS 144A) on upper side, brown green (RHS 146C-D) on lower side
MATURE LEAF IN FALL: red on upper side

FLOWERING: early, medium duration, occurs after leaf emergence
INFLORESCENCE: peduncle present, foliage on peduncle present, compound corymb type, many florets per corymb
FLOWER BUD: dark purple red (RHS 187B) on outer side
CALYX: absent or very sparse pubescence
COROLLA LOBES: free to touching arrangement, purple (RHS 64B) on inner side when newly opened, purple to blue pink (RHS 70B-C) on inner side when aged, absent or very weak reflexing of petal margin, weak to medium undulation of petal
RECEPTACLE: absent or very sparse pubescence
STAMEN: longer in relation to petals, pink anther

Origin & Breeding History: 'Matgold' originated from a controlled cross conducted between the female parent Spiraea japonica variety 'Bailcarol' and the male parent Spiraea x bumalda variety 'Denistar', in July 2009. 'Matgold' was selected in July 2012 in Angers, France based on its plant growth habit, foliage colour and flower colour. Asexual reproduction of 'Matgold' was first conducted by softwood cuttings in July 2012 in Angers, France.

Tests & Trials: The comparative trial for 'Matgold' was conducted in a container trial during the spring and summer of 2016 at BioFlora Inc. in St. Thomas, Ontario. The trial included a total of 15 plants each of the candidate and reference variety. All plants were grown from 10 cm rooted cuttings and transplanted into 9 litre pots on June 23, 2015. Plants were overwintered in an above-zero double polyhouse. All observations and measurements were taken from 10 plants, or parts of plants, of each variety on May 6, 2016 except plant size which was measured on July 10, 2016. All colour determinations were made using the 2007 Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Colour Chart.

Comparison tables for 'Matgold' with reference variety 'Goldflame'

Plant height (cm)

Plant width (cm)

Leaf blade length (cm)

Leaf blade width (cm)

Inflorescence diameter (cm)

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Spirea: 'Matgold' (left) with reference variety 'Goldflame' (right)

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Spirea: 'Matgold' (left) with reference variety 'Goldflame' (right)

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Spirea: 'Matgold' (left) with reference variety 'Goldflame' (right)