NCSX1

Spirea

Variety Description

Variety used for comparison: 'Tracy'

Summary: The plants of 'NCSX1' are smaller than those of 'Tracy'. In the spring, the upper side of the fully opened leaf blade of 'NCSX1' is yellow whereas it is light green for 'Tracy'. In the summer, the upper side of the fully opened leaf blade of 'NCSX1' is green brown whereas it is dark green to light green for 'Tracy'. The leaf blade of 'NCSX1' is shorter than that of 'Tracy'. The diameter of the inflorescence of 'NCSX1' is smaller than that of 'Tracy'. The upper side of the petal of 'NCSX1' is blue pink while that of 'Tracy' is light blue pink to light blue violet.

Description:

PLANT: bushy-rounded growth habit, dense branching, dense foliage, strong suckering tendency
SHOOT: red, dense white pubescence, round in cross-section, thin

LEAF BLADE: brown red (RHS 178C-D, 180A-B) when first unfolding, yellow (RHS 7A) when fully open in the spring, green brown (RHS 151A) when fully open in the summer, ovate, acute apex, rounded base, weak rugosity
LEAF BLADE MARGIN: serrate apex, teeth distributed over entire leaf, weak undulation, absent or very sparse pubescence
LEAF BLADE (UPPER SIDE): absent or very sparse pubescence
LEAF BLADE (LOWER SIDE): absent or very sparse pubescence, absent or very weak glaucosity on and between veins

INFLORESCENCE: corymb type, early season flowering, long flowering period
FLORET: medium density of pubescence on receptacle, sparse pubescence on sepals and dense along margin, opens after leaf emergence
PETAL: blue pink (RHS N66C) upper side, free arrangement, very weak reflexing of margin, undulation ranging from medium to strong
STAMEN: longer than petals, pink anthers

Origin & Breeding History: 'NCSX1' originated from a controlled cross conducted by the breeder Thomas Green Ranney, in 2009 in Mills River, North Carolina, USA. The cross was conducted between the female parent variety designated 'H2007-101-003' and the male parent variety 'Zelda'. The new spirea variety 'NCSX1' was selected in the spring of 2010 based on having a triploid cytotype, compact plant grown habit, and young red foliage that develops to yellow-green. Asexual reproduction of 'NCSX1' was first conducted by softwood cuttings in 2012, in Mills River, North Carolina, USA.

Tests & Trials: The comparative trial for 'NCSX1' was conducted during the spring and summer of 2018 in St. Thomas, Ontario. The trial included a total of 10 plants each of the candidate and reference variety. Rooted cuttings (10 cm) were transplanted into 7.6 litre pots on July 21, 2017. Plants were overwintered in an above-zero double polyhouse and pruned before moving to the outdoors. Observations and measurements were taken from 10 plants or parts of plants of each variety on August 21, 2018 for all characteristics with the exception of flower characteristics which were measured on May 26, 2018. All colour determinations were made using the 2007 Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Colour Chart.

Comparison tables for 'NCSX1' with reference variety 'Tracy'

Plant height (cm)

Plant width (cm)

Colour of upper side of leaf blade when fully opened (RHS)

Leaf blade length (cm)

Inflorescence diameter (cm)

Colour of petal (RHS)

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Spirea: 'NCSX1' (left) with reference variety 'Tracy' (right)

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Spirea: 'NCSX1' (left) with reference variety 'Tracy' (right)

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Spirea: 'NCSX1' (left) with reference variety 'Tracy' (right)