A new and distinct cultivar of Spiraea plant named &#8216;Sparkling Carpet&#8217;, characterized by its compact, and low mounding plant habit; dense and bushy growth habit; and small leaves that are red when developing and yellow green with red margins when fully expanded.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Spiraea plant, botanically known as Spiraea bumalda, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Sparkling Carpet.

The new Spiraea is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Boisbriand, Quebec, Canada. The objective of the breeding program is to create compact Spiraeas with unique leaf coloration and few to no flowers.

The new Spiraea originated from a cross made by the Inventor of a proprietary Spiraea selection identified as code number G-DW-80-48, not patented, as the female, or seed parent, with a proprietary Spiraea selection identified as code number G-DW-80-106, not patented, as the male, or pollen parent. The new Spiraea was first observed in 1982 and was selected in 1984 as a single plant from the resulting progeny by the Inventor in a controlled environment in Boisbriand, Quebec, Canada, on the basis of its developing red-colored leaves and yellow green-colored fully expanded leaves.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken in a controlled environment in Boisbriand, Quebec, Canada since 1984, has shown that the unique features of this new Spiraea are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Sparkling Carpet have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment and culture such as temperature, light intensity and daylength without, however, any variance in genotype.

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

2. Dense and bushy growth habit.

3. Small leaves that are red when developing and yellow green with red margins when fully expanded.

Plants of the new Spiraea differ from plants of the parents and the cultivars Golden Carpet, U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 10/036,935 filed concurrently, and Green Carpet, U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 10/036,936 filed concurrently, primarily in foliage color.

Plants of the new Spiraea are similar in foliage color to plants of the Spiraea Flaming Mound , not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Boisbriand, Quebec, Canada, plants of the new Spiraea differed from plants of the cultivar Flaming Mound in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Spiraea were more compact than plants of the cultivar Flaming Mound.

2. Plants of the new Spiraea had smaller leaves than plants of the cultivar Flaming Mound.

3. Plants of the new Spiraea produced no or only a few flowers whereas plants of the cultivar Flaming Mound produced numerous flowers.

Plants of the new Spiraea can also be compared to plants of the Spiraea Walbuma , disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,363. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Boisbriand, Quebec, Canada, plants of the new Spiraea differed from plants of the cultivar Walbuma in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Spiraea were more compact than plants of the cultivar Walbuma.

2. Plants of the new Spiraea and the cultivar Walbuma differed in foliage coloration.

3. Plants of the new Spiraea produced no or few flowers whereas plants of the cultivar Walbuma produced numerous flowers.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants grown in an outdoor nursery under full sunlight conditions and commercial production conditions in Boisbriand, Quebec, Canada for about three years were used for the following description.

Female parent. Proprietary Spiraea bumalda selection identified as G-DW-80-48, not patented.

Male parent. Proprietary Spiraea bumalda selection identified as G-DW-80-106, not patented.

Time to initiate roots. About 21 to 28 days at 20 C.

Time to produce a rooted cutting. About 5 to 8 weeks at 24 to 28 C.

Form. Compact perennial deciduous shrub; dense and low mounded plant habit. Freely branching; lateral branches potentially forming at every node.

Flower type and habit. Few to no flowers. Small single flowers arranged in corymbs; flowers face mostly upright. Flowers self-cleaning.

Natural flowering season. June to September in Quebec, Canada; flowering sporadic.

Flower longevity on the plant. About three days.

Seed/fruit. Seed and fruit production has not been observed.

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

Weather tolerance: Plants of the new Spiraea have been observed to be tolerant to rain and wind.