US-PP37403-P2 - Leucanthemum plant named ‘Dream Big’

Abstract

The new Shasta daisy plant, Leucanthemum ‘Dream Big’, is a sturdy dense plant with large, dark-green, serrated foliage and stiff stems. The numerous large semi-double inflorescences produce two to three rows of overlapping, horizontal, white, ray florets and a center capitulum with disk florets that are golden yellow. The new plant is useful in the landscape as a long-flowering border, in mass, as accent plants and containerized for patio or indoor use, or as a cut flower.

Inventors

• Hans A. Hansen

Assignees

• Hans A. Hansen

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20250923

Claims (1)

1. 1 . The new and distinct Shasta daisy Leucanthemum plant named ‘Dream Big’ as herein described and illustrated.

Description

Botanical classification: Leucanthemum x superbum (Bergmans ex J. W. Ingram) D. H. Kent. Variety denomination: ‘Dream Big’. STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES UNDER 37 CFR 1.77(B)(6) The first offer for sale anywhere in the world was made by Walters Gardens, Inc. to Prides Corner Farms on Oct. 11, 2025. Walters Gardens, Inc. obtained the new plant and all information about the new plant directly from the inventor. No plants of Leucanthemum ‘Dream Big’ have been sold or offered for sale, in this country or anywhere in the world, nor has any disclosure of the new plant been made, more than one year prior to the filing date of this application, and such sale or disclosure within one year was either derived directly or indirectly from the inventor. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The original Leucanthemum x superbum, or Shasta daisies, were bred by Luther Burbank in the late 1800's as a cross between Leucanthemum maximum (Ramond) DC. with Leucanthemum vulgare (Vaill.) Lam., Leucanthemum lacustre (Broth.) Samp. and Nipponanthemum nipponicum. The new plant, Leucanthemum ‘Dream Big’ originated from a planned breeding program of the inventor at a wholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland, MI, USA. The new Leucanthemum was a single plant selected from a group of seedlings from a cross on Jul. 6, 2021, between the proprietary unreleased, unnamed proprietary hybrid known only by the breeder code 20-11-1 (not patented) as the female parent and the proprietary unreleased, unnamed proprietary hybrid known only by the breeder code 20-11-5 (not patented) as the male parent. The seeds were harvested on Sep. 1, 2020. The individual selected plant that eventually became ‘Dream Big’ was first evaluated in the summer of 2022 and given the breeder number 21-14-14 through the subsequent evaluations. The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Shasta daisy botanically known as Leucanthemum x superbum and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Dream Big’ or the new plant. Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by division at the same nursery in Zeeland, MI beginning in the summer of 2022 has demonstrated that the new cultivar reproduces true to type with all the characteristics of the original plant retained through successive generations of asexual propagation. The new plant has since been asexually propagated by basal shoot tip cuttings and sterile shoot tip tissue culture. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The new plant is most closely compared to: ‘Becky’ (not patented), ‘Daisy Duke’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,914, ‘Marshmallow’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 33,878, ‘Snowcap’ (not patented), and ‘Spoonful of Sugar’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 28,760. ‘Becky’ has a taller habit and has smaller inflorescences without lateral branching. ‘Daisy Duke’ is slightly shorter in habit with smaller inflorescences without lateral branching. ‘Marshmallow’ has a much shorter habit with narrower and more numerous ray florets. ‘Real Snowball’ has a shorter more mounded habit, and smaller inflorescences over a longer flowering season. ‘Snowcap’ has a shorter habit and smaller inflorescences. ‘Spoonful of Sugar’ has a much shorter habit and larger inflorescences. The female and male were taller with weaker stems and shorter lateral branching at the end of the stems. Leucanthemum ‘Dream Big’ differs from all cultivars known to the inventor in the following combined traits: 1. Sturdy, dense, upright, mounded plants with large, dark-green, serrated foliage and stiff stems;2. Large semi-double inflorescences with two or three rows of overlapping white ray florets;3. Center disk florets of golden yellow;4. Multiple lateral branches. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS The photographs of ‘Dream Big’ demonstrate the overall appearance and landscape qualities of the new plant, including the unique traits planted in a full-sun trial garden in Zeeland, Michigan. The colors are as accurate as reasonably possible with color reproductions. Ambient light spectrum, source, direction, and temperature may cause the appearance of minor variations in color. FIG. 1 shows a two-year-old new plant at early flowering with inflorescences covering the plant from nearly top to ground. FIG. 2 shows a close-up of some inflorescences. DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION The following descriptions and color references are based on the 2015 edition of The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where common dictionary terms are used. The new plant has not been observed in all possible environments and conditions. The phenotype of Leucanthemum ‘Dream Big’ may vary with different growing conditions such as changes in temperature, light intensity, water availability, and nutrition, but without change in the genotype. The plants used for description purposes were three-year-old and were grown in Zeeland, MI in a full-sun, loamy-sand trial plot environment with supplemental water and limited fertilizer as needed and also a partially-shaded greenhouse. Summer temperatures range