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Ruby Queen

Variety Description

Varieties used for comparison: 'Java Red' and 'Elvera'

Summary: 'Ruby Queen' has a shorter plant height and narrower plant width than 'Java Red'. 'Ruby Queen' has a longer leaf length than 'Java Red'. The upper side of the newly opened leaf blade is dark brown with tones of brown purple for 'Ruby Queen' while it is brown green for 'Java Red' and dark brown for 'Elvera'. 'Ruby Queen' has a shorter flower length than the reference varieties.

Description: 'Ruby Queen' has a compact, bushy rounded growth habit with moderately dense foliage. The stem is light green in colour and has strong anthocyanin colouration on new growth. There is dense pubescence on the stem and there are lenticels present.

The leaves are opposite in arrangement and simple. The upper side of the leaf blade has weak glossiness. The upper and lower side of the leaf blade has sparse pubescence and midrib and veins have medium pubescence. The leaf blade is elliptic to obovate in shape with an acuminate to cuspidate shaped apex and cuneate base. The leaf blade margin is serrulate. When newly opened the upper surface of the leaf blade is dark brown with tones of brown purple. When mature, the upper surface of the leaf is brown green with tones of dark brown. and the lower surface is brown green with a dark brown midrib and veins.

The inflorescence is a cyme which is both terminal and axillary in position. There is very strong anthocyanin colouration in the pedicel and strong to very strong anthocyanin in the sepal. The flower bud is oblanceolate in shape and the flower is funnel-form to campanulate in shape. The upper side of the petal is blue pink in colour.

Origin & Breeding History: 'Ruby Queen' originated from a cross between 'Victoria', as the female parent and a proprietary selection as the male parent. The cross was made in 1993 and the new variety was discovered and selected by the breeder as a single plant within the progeny of the stated cross, in a controlled environment in Boskoop, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program was to create new Weigela varieties having dwarf plant habit and dark coloured foliage.

Tests & Trials: 'Ruby Queen' was tested in an outdoor container trial during the summers of 2004 and 2005, in St. Thomas, Ontario. The trial included 15 plants of each variety. All shrubs were grown from 5 inch liners, planted into 2 gallon containers in May 2004 and transplanted into 3 gallon containers on July 2, 2004. Plants were arranged in rows with approximately 1 metre spacing between plants. Observations and measurements were taken from 10 plants of each variety on June 7, 2005. All colour measurements were made using the 2001 RHS colour chart.

Weigela: 'Ruby Queen' (left) with reference variety 'Elvera' (right)