Verbena plant named ‘Britena’

A new and distinct variety of Verbena plant named ‘Britena,’ characterized particularly as to novelty by flowers fading from rose to white with a purple center, which appear earlier on the plant, and a growing habit that is first upright and later spreading.

Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed:Verbena×hybrida.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new distinct cultivar ofVerbena,botanically known asVerbena×hybrida.

The newVerbena×hybridais a product of a planned breeding program conducted in Enkhuizen, Netherlands.

A newVerbenaplant particularly distinguished by its rose flowers with a purple center fading to white flowers with a purple center, early flowering, a habit that is first semi-erect and later spreading.

The new cultivar is propagated from cuttings resulting from the open pollination of ‘G0809-2’ and an unknown parent. ‘G0809-2’ is an apricot floweringVerbenahaving a spreading habit. ‘G0809-2’ is not commercially available and is not known by any synonyms. ‘G0809-2’ has not been patented. The male parent is unknown.

As a result of this open pollination the present cultivar was created in 2004 in Enkhuizen, Netherlands and has been repeatedly asexually reproduced by cuttings in Enkhuizen, Netherlands and Sarrians, France over a three year period. It has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successive propagations, and this novelty appears to be firmly fixed.

This newVerbenaplant is an annual in most climatical zones in the US, only in zones 9 and 10 it is a perennial plant.

A Plant Breeder's Right for this cultivar was applied for in the European Union on Nov. 12, 2008. ‘Britena’ has not been made publicly available more than one year prior to the filing of this application.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW CULTIVAR

The following detailed descriptions set forth the distinctive characteristics of this newVerbena.The data which defines these characteristics were collected from asexual reproductions carried out in Enkhuizen, Netherlands. The plant history was taken on 14 week old plants, blossomed under natural light in a greenhouse. Color readings were taken in the greenhouse under ambient light.

Color references are primarily to The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London.