Verbena plant named ‘Balazreve’

A new and distinct cultivar of Verbena plant named ‘Balazreve’ characterized by its dark red-colored flowers, dark green-colored foliage, good basal branching character, and mounding and trailing growth habit.

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

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises a new and distinctVerbenaplant botanically known asVerbena hybridaand hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Balazreve’.

The new cultivar was developed by the inventor through a controlled breeding program during December 2001 at Arroyo Grande, Calif. The objective of the breeding program was the development ofVerbenacultivars with a semi-trailing mounded habit, continuous flowering, excellent basal branching and small, dark green-colored foliage, and attractive flower coloration.

The female (seed) parent of the new cultivar was the proprietaryVerbenabreeding selection BFP-0970, not patented, which exhibits a semi-trailing growth habit, bright red-colored flowers, and dark green-colored foliage. The male (pollen) parent of the new cultivar was the proprietaryVerbenabreeding selection BFP-1476, not patented, which exhibits a semi-trailing growth habit, red-colored flowers with “eye”, and dark green-colored foliage.

One plant within the progeny of the above stated cross-pollination was discovered and selected by the inventor in April 2002.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal stem cuttings in West Chicago, Ill. since April 2002, has demonstrated that the characteristics of the new cultivar, as herein described, reproduce true to type and are firmly fixed and retained through successive generations of such asexual propagation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following characteristics of the new cultivar have been repeatedly observed and can be used to distinguish ‘Balazreve’ as a new and distinct cultivar ofVerbenaplant:1. Dark red-colored flowers.2. Lobed, dark green-colored foliage.3. Good basal branching character.4. Mounding and trailing growth habit.

Plants of the new cultivar differ from plants of the female parent primarily in flower color and from plants of the male parent primarily in flower color.

Plants of the new cultivar can be distinguished from plants of its sibling ‘Balazwilro’, disclosed in concurrent U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 11/01,419, in flower color.

Plants of the new cultivar are most similar to the cultivar ‘SUNVP-SU’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,311. However, in side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new cultivar differ from plants of ‘SUNVP-SU’ in the following characteristics:1. The leaves of the new cultivar are a different shape than the leaves of ‘SUNVP-SU’.2. The flowers of the new cultivar are larger than the flowers of ‘SUNVP-SU’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The chart used in the identification of colors described herein is The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England, 2001 edition, except where color terms of ordinary significance are used. The color values were determined on Sep. 24, 2004. The readings were taken between 11:00 and 11:30 a.m. under natural light conditions.