Aphrodite

Sweetshrub

Variety Description

Variety used for comparison: 'Hartlage Wine'

Summary: The plants of 'Aphrodite' are much taller than those of 'Hartlage Wine'. The stem is grey brown for 'Aphrodite' while it is red brown for 'Hartlage Wine'. The leaf blade of 'Aphrodite' is longer than that of 'Hartlage Wine'. The flower of 'Aphrodite' is larger in diameter than the flower of 'Hartlage Wine'. When fully open, the outer side of the inner tepal on the flower of 'Aphrodite' is yellow to light yellow at the apex while it is lighter yellow at the apex for 'Hartlage Wine'. The flower of 'Aphrodite' is of weak to medium fragrance whereas it is very weak for 'Hartlage Wine'. The outer tepal of 'Aphrodite' is longer than that of 'Hartlage Wine'. The plants of 'Aphrodite' flower early in the season while those of 'Hartlage Wine' flower very early in the season.

Description:

PLANT: shrub, globose, upright growth habit, medium to dense branching, fast growth rate, hardy to United States Department of Agriculture zone 5
STEM: grey brown, thick, absent or very sparse pubescence, round, smooth bark, weak glaucosity, medium number of lenticels, no thorns/spines

BUD: medium sized, reddish brown, orbicular, pointed apex, medium pubescence along margin edge

PETIOLE: no anthocyanin colouration
LEAF: simple, opposite arrangement on stem, elliptic, acuminate apex, cuneate base, entire margin, no lobing, no variegation, weak rugosity, absent to weak waviness of margin, no blistering, medium green on upper side, absent or very sparse pubescence on upper side, light green on lower side, absent or sparse pubescence on lower side, no anthocyanin colouration on veins of lower side

FLOWER: solitary, corolla is rotate, very weak undulation of tepals
TEPAL: when newly open inner side is brown purple (RHS 185B), when fully open inner side is mainly brown purple (deeper than RHS 186A), when aged inner side is brown purple (RHS 186B) with occasional yellow streak at centre of outer tepals, when newly open outer side is brown purple (duller than RHS 185B-C), when fully open outer side is brown purple (duller than RHS 186A) with yellow to light yellow (RHS 5C-D) at apex of inner tepals, when aged outer side is mainly brown purple (RHS 186B) with faded white-yellow streak at centre of outer tepals, light yellow (RHS 4D) at apex of inner tepals with slightly darker yellow (RHS 5D) at tip, weak to medium fragrance
OUTER TEPAL: obovate, rounded apex
INNER TEPAL: obovate, acute apex
TIME OF FLOWERING: early

Origin & Breeding History: 'Aphrodite' originated from a hybrid cross conducted by the breeder, Thomas G. Ranney, at North Carolina State University in Mills River, North Carolina, USA. The cross involved the female parent plant Calycanthus chinensis and the male parent plant Calycanthus occidentalis. The new variety was selected in June 2005 based on its numerous large flowers, long bloom season and fragrant flowers. 'Aphrodite' was first propagated by rooted stem cuttings in June 2005 at Mountain Horticultural Research Station at North Carolina State University in Mills River, North Carolina, USA.

Tests & Trials: The comparative trial for 'Aphrodite' was conducted in a polyhouse during the spring of 2014 at BioFlora Inc. in St. Thomas, Ontario. The trial included 12 shrubs each of the candidate and reference variety. All shrubs were grown from rooted cuttings and transplanted into 11 litre containers on June 19, 2013. Observations and measurements were taken from 10 plants or parts of plants of each variety. Flower characteristics were observed and measured on May 12, 2014 for the candidate variety, 'Aphrodite', and on April 29, 2014 for the reference variety 'Hartlage Wine'. Leaf measurements were taken for 'Aphrodite' on April 29, 2014. All other observations were made on May 8, 2014. All colour determinations were made using the 2007 Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Colour Chart.

Comparison tables for 'Aphrodite' with reference variety 'Hartlage Wine'

Plant height (cm)

Leaf blade length (cm)

Flower diameter (cm)

Secondary colour of outer side of inner tepal when fully open (RHS)

Outer tepal length (cm)

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Sweetshrub: 'Aphrodite' (left) with reference variety 'Hartlage Wine' (right)

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Sweetshrub: 'Aphrodite' (left) with reference variety 'Hartlage Wine' (right)

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Sweetshrub: 'Aphrodite' (left) with reference variety 'Hartlage Wine' (right)