Geranium plant named &#8216;Springtime&#8217;

A distinct cultivar of Geranium plant named &#8216;Springtime&#8217;, characterized by its upright plant habit; variegated leaves; and dark purple-colored flowers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Geranium plant, botanically known as Geranium phaeum , and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Springtime.

The new Geranium originated from a chance cross-pollination of two unidentified selections of Geranium phaeum , not patented. The new Geranium was discovered by the Inventor in 1999 in Hummelo, The Netherlands. Plants of the new Geranium differed primarily from plants of the unidentified parental selections in leaf and flower coloration.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by cuttings in Hummelo, The Netherlands since 1999, has shown that the unique features of this new Geranium are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Springtime have not been observed under all possible environmental and cultural conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity, daylength, irrigation amount and frequency, and/or fertilizer rate without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of Springtime . These characteristics in combination distinguish Springtime as a new and distinct cultivar:

Plants of the new Geranium can be compared to plants of the Geranium cultivar Samobor, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Hummelo, The Netherlands, plants of the new Geranium differed from of the cultivar Samobor in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Geranium had variegated foliage whereas plants of the cultivar Samobor had solid green foliage.

2. Plants of the new Geranium had darker purple-colored flowers than plants of the cultivar Samobor.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants used for the following description were about one year old and grown under outdoor field conditions which closely approximate commercial production conditions during the spring and summer in Hummelo, The Netherlands.

Parentage: Cross-pollination of two unidentified selections of Geranium phaeum , not patented.

Time to produce a rooted young plant. About 30 days at 18 to 20 C.

Appearance. Single rotate flowers with five petals arranged in terminal and axillary umbels; usually two flowers per umbel. Flowers not persistent.

Quantity of flowers. About 100 flowers per plant develop during the flowering season.

Natural flowering season. May through June in Hummelo, The Netherlands.

Flower longevity. About one to two weeks.

Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Geranium have not been noted to be resistant to pathogens or pests common to Geranium.

Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Geranium are tolerant to temperatures from about 20 to 35 C.