Limerock Ruby

Coreopsis

Variety Description

Variety used for comparison: 'American Dreams'

Summary: 'Limerock Ruby' differs from the reference variety, 'American Dreams', in flower and foliage colour, ray floret colour and flower head diameter. The ray florets of 'Limerock Ruby' are deep red-purple whereas they are a solid soft pink-purple (mauve) in 'American Dream'. The foliage of 'Limerock Ruby' is a darker green than that of 'American Dreams'. The diameter of the inflorescence and disc florets of 'Limerock Ruby' are larger than those of 'American Dreams'.

Description:

'Limerock Ruby' is a vegetatively propagated perennial coreopsis variety with an upright, bushy to spreading growth habit with a medium to high degree of branching. The smooth, light green stems are medium to thick with very weak anthocyanin colouration and very sparse pubescence. The pinnately compound leaves are opposite in arrangement, have 2-5 leaflets per leaf which are linear in shape with a blunt acute apex, attenuate base and entire margins. They are medium green with very sparse pubescence at the base of the upper surface. There is no variegation of the leaves. Leaf petioles are absent. The peduncle has no anthocyanin colouration or pubescence.

'Limerock Ruby' flowers almost continuously, starting late spring. The inflorescence of 'Limerock Ruby' is a flower head which are both terminal and axillary in location. Flower attitude is semi-erect with few ray florets. The ray florets are touching with a straight to very weakly incurving longitudinal axis of majority. The florets are obovate with an emarginate apex and very weak pubescence along the ribs/veins. Disc florets are present.

Origin & Breeding History: 'Limerock Ruby' was discovered in August, 1998 at Limerock Plant Farm, Inc., Rhode Island, United States. It arose as a chance seedling from random cross- pollination of unidentified selections of Coreopsis rosea and Coreopsis verticillata. The selection was based on its unique ray and disc floret colouration. Asexual reproduction was carried out by vegetative cuttings.

Tests & Trials: Tests and trials for 'Limerock Ruby' were conducted in the greenhouse at Yoder Canada Ltd. during the spring and summer of 2002. Trials consisted of a minimum of 15 plants per variety with one cutting per 11 cm square pot. Colour characteristics were determined using the 2001 RHS colour chart. Measured characteristics were based on 10 measurements.

Comparison tables for 'Limerock Ruby' with reference variety 'American Dreams'

Leaf blade length (mm)

Peduncle length (mm)

Inflorescence diameter (mm)

Floret length (mm)

Main colour of ray floret (RHS)

Disc diameter (mm)