Purple Illusion

Veronica

Variety Description

Variety used for comparison: 'Very Van Gogh'

Summary: The plants of 'Purple Illusion' have an upright-bushy growth habit and are shorter and wider than the plants of 'Very Van Gogh', which have a narrow upright growth habit. The flowering part of the inflorescence of 'Purple Illusion' is shorter than that of 'Very Van Gogh'.

Description:

PLANT: vegetatively propagated perennial type, upright-bushy growth habit, medium degree of branching

STEM: medium green, weak intensity of anthocyanin colouration, absent or very weak glaucosity, absent or very sparse pubescence, thin to medium thickness, smooth shape

LEAF: opposite arrangement, simple type, petiole present
LEAF BLADE: elliptic to lanceolate shape, acute apex, attenuate base, serrate margin, absent or very sparse pubescence on upper and lower side, absent or very weak glaucosity on upper side, medium green on upper and lower side, no variegation

FLOWERING PERIOD: only once, begins mid-season, medium to long duration
PEDUNCLE: weak intensity of anthocyanin colouration, absent or very sparse pubescence
INFLORESCENCE: spike type, located at terminal position of stem, erect attitude
COROLLA: partially fused arrangement of lobes, medium length, medium width, salverform shape, four lobes per flower
COROLLA LOBE: weak undulation of margin, absent or very sparse pubescence on inner and outer side, inner and outer side medium purple (RHS NN78B to NN78C)

Origin & Breeding History: 'Purple Illusion' originated from a cross conducted by the breeder in Zeeland, Michigan, USA. The cross was made between the female parent, a proprietary unreleased hybrid variety known as '08-57-03', and the male parent variety 'Enchanted Indigo' on June 29, 2012. 'Purple Illusion' was selected in the spring of 2014 for its growth habit, inflorescence branching characteristics, number of flowers, flower colour, leaf blade colour, leaf shape, rate of premature lower leaf drop, and disease resistance. Asexual propagation by stem cuttings began in the summer of 2014.

Tests & Trials: The comparative trial for 'Purple Illusion' was conducted in a shadehouse during the summer of 2022 at Variety Rights Management in Oxford Station, Ontario. The trial included a total of 15 plants each of the candidate and reference variety. All plants were grown in 16 cm pots spaced 45 cm apart. Observations and measurements were taken from 10 plants, or parts of plants, of each variety at the end of July 2022. All colour determinations were made using the 2015 Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Colour Chart.

Comparison tables for 'Purple Illusion' with reference variety 'Very Van Gogh'

Plant height (cm)

Plant width (cm)

Inflorescence length (cm)

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Veronica: 'Purple Illusion' (left) with reference variety 'Very Van Gogh' (right)