US-PP37425-P2 - Paeonia plant named ‘Smithopus11’

Abstract

A new and distinct cultivar of intersectional hybrid (Itoh) Paeonia plant named ‘Smithopus11’ is disclosed, characterized by very large deep pink flowers with a semi-double to fully double form carried on strong stems. Flowers present above and beyond the foliage. Plants have dark green, dissected foliage, which lasts through the fall and is also disease resistant. Plants have a symmetrical, compact plant habit/shape which is excellent in the landscape. The new variety is an intersectional hybrid (Itoh) Paeonia normally produced as an outdoor ornamental garden plant.

Inventors

• Donald R. Smith

Assignees

• Donald R. Smith

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20250709

Claims (1)

1. 1 . A new and distinct cultivar of Paeonia plant named ‘Smithopus11’ as herein illustrated and described.

Description

Latin name of the genus and species: Paeonia hybrid. Variety denomination: ‘Smithopus11’. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the inventor to produce new Paeonia hybrid cultivars with strong stems, large panicles, compact habits, and attractive flower aging. The crossing resulting in the new cultivar was made in summer of 2013 in a backyard in Windham, NH. The seed parent is the cultivar Paeonia ‘Martha W’, unpatented. The pollen parent is Paeonia ‘Nasa’, unpatented. The new cultivar was found and selected by the inventor in 2017 in the same backyard in Windham, NH. Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar ‘Smithopus11’ was first performed at a research laboratory during 2018 in the Netherlands by tissue culture. Through subsequent confidential propagation, multiple additional generations have been reproduced, having shown that the unique features of this cultivar are stable and reproduced true to type. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The cultivar ‘Smithopus11’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, day length, and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype. The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Smithopus11’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Smithopus11’ as a new and distinct Paeonia cultivar: 1. New variety is an intersectional hybrid (Itoh) peony from a cross of an herbaceous peony (lactiflora) with a hybrid tree peony.2. Deep green foliage.3. New variety has very large deep pink flowers of semi-double to fully double form carried on strong stems, which present the flowers above and beyond the foliage.4. New variety has very attractive, dissected foliage, which lasts through the fall and is also highly disease resistant.5. New variety has a symmetrical, compact plant habit/shape and makes an ideal landscape plant. PARENT COMPARISONS Plants of ‘Smithopus11’ are similar to plants of the seed parent in most horticultural characteristics, however, plants of ‘Smithopus11’ differ in the following: 1. Seed parent has fully herbaceous stems and growth habit, whereas the new variety has stronger semi-woody to woody stems and many above-ground buds, yet grows primarily as an herbaceous plant.2. Seed parent has pink flowers of single form with 11-13 petals, whereas the new variety has semi-double to double flowers with many more petals (about 30-40).3. Seed parent blooms 1-2 weeks later than the new variety.4. Seed parent has many lateral flowers per stem, whereas the new variety has only 1 or 2.5. Seed parent is highly fertile both ways, whereas the new variety is a sterile triploid. Plants of ‘Smithopus11’ are similar to plants of the pollen parent in most horticultural characteristics, however, plants of ‘Smithopus11’ differ in the following: 1. Pollen parent is a woody tree peony hybrid that has winter hardy, woody stems, whereas the new variety has semi-woody stems that are much less winter hardy.2. Pollen parent has shrub-like plant and growth habit, whereas the new variety has mostly herbaceous habit.3. Pollen parent blooms 1-2 weeks before the new variety. COMMERCIAL COMPARISON Plants of ‘Smithopus11’ can be compared to plants of the commercial cultivar Paeonia intersectional hybrid ‘Scarlet Heaven’, unpatented. Plants of ‘Smithopus11’ are similar to plants of ‘Scarlet Heaven’ in most horticultural characteristics, however, plants of ‘Smithopus11’ differ in the following: 1. ‘Scarlet Heaven’ has dark red flowers of single flower form (10-12 petals), whereas the new variety has fully double flowers with 30-40 petals on average.2. ‘Scarlet Heaven’ has poor foliage that becomes heavily spotted in early summer and dies back very early, whereas the new variety has completely unspotted, disease resistant foliage that lasts until late fall.3. ‘Scarlet Heaven’ has average size flowers (5-6″), whereas the new variety has much larger flowers (8-9″). BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS The accompanying photograph in FIG. 1 illustrates in full color a typical plant of ‘Smithopus11’ grown in a field in Fairfield, CT. This plant is approximately 3 years old. FIG. 2 illustrates in full color a close-up of a maturing flower of ‘Smithopus11’. The photographs were taken using conventional techniques and although colors may appear different from actual colors due to light reflectance it is as accurate as possible by conventional photographic techniques. DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart 2015, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observations and measurements describe ‘Smithopus11’ plants grown outdoors in Camarillo, CA. The plants were 2 to 3 years old from large tubers, grown in 5-gallon pots. Temperatures ra