Courtacad1

Weigela

Variety Description

Variety used for comparison: 'Minuet'

Summary: The plants of 'Courtacad1' are erect to spreading and shorter than those of 'Minuet', which are erect. The leaf blade of 'Courtacad1' is smaller than that of 'Minuet'. The undulation of the leaf blade margin of 'Courtacad1' is absent to weak while it is of medium undulation for 'Minuet'. The intensity of green colour on the upper side of the leaf blade of 'Courtacad1' is dark while it is medium green for 'Minuet'. The corolla of 'Courtacad1' is smaller in diameter than that of 'Minuet'. The inner side of the corolla lobe of 'Courtacad1' is white whereas that of 'Minuet' is blue pink with darker blue pink and purple red tones at the apex and along the margin. The outer side of the corolla tube of 'Courtacad1' is white with purple at the base while that of 'Minuet' is purple red with darker purple towards the base.

Description:

PLANT: medium vigour, erect to spreading (compact) growth habit
ONE-YEAR-OLD-SHOOT: light brown

LEAF BLADE: obovate, acuminate apex, many incisions along margin, absent to weak undulation of margin, dark green on upper side, no variegation, absent or very weak blistering, medium pubescence along veins of lower side, dense pubescence along primary vein of lower side, in spring upper side is brown green (closest to RHS 137B) with black (RHS N187A) along margin edge and at apex, in summer upper side is brown green (closest to RHS 137A)

SEPAL: medium pubescence, green and red
COROLLA: single coloured, funnel-shaped
COROLLA LOBE: inner side is white (RHS NN155C), rounded apex
COROLLA TUBE: outer side is white (RHS NN155C) with purple (RHS 59C) at base
OVARY: absent or very sparse pubescence
PISTIL: same length as corolla
FIRST FULL FLOWERING: early, medium duration
SECOND FLOWERING (AUTUMN): none

Origin & Breeding History: 'Courtacad1' originated from a cross conducted in 1987 at l'Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique in Beaucouzé- Angers, France. The cross involved the two varieties 'Mansais' as the female parent and Weigela florida 'Follis Purpureis' as the male parent. The resultant F1 generation was self-pollinated and seed was collected and planted the following year. A single F2 seedling was selected in 1989 based on its plant growth habit and flower colour. The Weigela variety 'Courtacad1' was first propagated in 2006 by vegetative cuttings in Angers, France.

Tests & Trials: The comparative trial for 'Courtacad1' was conducted in an outdoor trial during the spring of 2014 at BioFlora Inc. in St. Thomas, Ontario. The trial included 13 plants of the candidate variety and 8 plants of the reference variety. All plants were grown and transplanted into 7.5 litre containers and arranged in rows with 1 metre spacing between plants. Plants were overwintered in 2013 in an unheated polyhouse. Observations and measurements were taken from 10 plants or parts of plants of each variety on June 4, 2014. All colour determinations were made using the 2007 Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Colour Chart.

Comparison tables for 'Courtacad1' with reference variety 'Minuet'

Plant height (cm)

Leaf length (cm)

Leaf width (cm)

Corolla diameter (cm)

Colour of corolla lobe (RHS)

Colour of corolla tube (RHS)

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Weigela: 'Courtacad1' (left) with reference variety 'Minuet' (right)

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Weigela: 'Courtacad1' (left) with reference variety 'Minuet' (right)

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Weigela: 'Courtacad1' (left) with reference variety 'Minuet' (right)