NEW UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA PLANT INTRODUCTIONS

Rhododendron Lilac Lights^TM

A new addition to the Lights Series of hardy deciduous azaleas, 'Lilac Lights'^TM is an improved version of 'Orchid Lights'. Like 'Orchid Lights', 'Lilac Lights'^TM resulted from a controlled cross of  Rhododendron canadense and a Mollis hybrid azalea (Rhododendron x kosteranum). 'Lilac Lights'^TM is fairly low growing, maturing at about 3 1/2 feet tall and 4-5' wide. This azalea blooms in mid to late May with numerous lax trusses, each holding 8-10 flowers. The corolla is 5-lobed: lower lobes are narrow and deeply divided, while the upper three lobes are less deeply divided. Flower color is medium pinkish purple with darker speckles on upper lobes. Flowers are not fragrant. Foliage is medium green.

Rhododendron Candy Lights^TM

This new cultivar restores pink to the color palette of the Lights Series of hardy deciduous azaleas. An earlier cultivar, 'Pink Lights', has been too difficult to propagate in commercial quantities and has therefore become unavailable in the trade. 'Candy Lights'^TM results from a controlled cross of Rhododendron atlanticum and a red-flowered Mollis hybrid azalea (Rhododendron x kosteranum). 'Candy Lights'^TM  is a medium sized shrub, growing 5-6 feet tall and wide. It blooms in mid to late May with many dome-shaped flower trusses, each holding 8-10 flowers. Flower color is a clear light pink, with pale yellow streaks on the upper corolla lobe. Flowers have heavy substance and are strongly fragrant. Foliage is medium to dark green.

This selection of Amur maackia is an excellent small tree with multi-season interest. 'Summertime'^TM grows as a low-branching single-trunked tree, reaching a height of 18-20 feet and a width of 12-15 feet. When the compound leaves emerge in spring they have a distinctive silvery appearance. Leaves mature to a rich deep green color; this clean green foliage is retained until leaf fall. 'Summertime'^TM Amur maackia blooms in mid-late summer, usually late July to early August. It produces numerous bottlebrush-like racemes of small cream-colored flowers which may last for a week or more. Small (2-3 inch long) papery seedpods develop and turn brown in fall. Because of their relatively small size they do not present a litter problem in the landscape. The bark of this small tree is mottled olive green to golden brown and provides some winter interest.

'Firefall'^TM Freeman maple is a large shade tree that will provide outstanding fall color in northern regions. This interspecific hybrid cultivar resulted from a controlled cross of a silver maple (Acer saccharinum 'Bebe') and a red maple (Acer rubrum 'Autumn Spire', a University of Minnesota introduction). 'Firefall'^TM has an upright-oval form with good branch angles. It will probably reach 40-60 feet tall and 30-40 feet wide at maturity. This selection is male and therefore does not produce nuisance seeds. The foliage is an attractive medium green through the summer. Fall color is bright orange to scarlet and develops fairly early, around late September to early October. This is a distinct advantage over some existing Freeman maple cultivars that color later and often do not develop much color in northern regions before freezing temperatures cause the foliage to drop.

Cornus hessei Garden Glow^TM

'Garden Glow'^TM is a shrub dogwood with unique chartreuse to gold colored foliage. The species Cornus hessei is similar to Tatarian dogwood (C. alba) but of a smaller size, and 'Garden Glow'^TM seems to have a mature height of under 5 feet. This smaller size makes it more manageable in residential landscapes. 'Garden Glow'^TM bears clusters of small white flowers in the spring, followed by white to pale blue berries in late summer. This attractive shrub has the best yellow-green leaf color when planted in light shade. If planted in all-day full sun the golden leaves tend to develop bleached, sunburned spots. 'Garden Glow'^TM may develop some reddish pink fall leaf color, and it shows attractive red stems during the winter.

Sorbus Patio Pride^TM

'Patio Pride'^TM mountain ash is a small tree that is well-suited to small residential sites, near patios, or in courtyards and entryways. 'Patio Pride'^TM was selected from a group of hybrid seedlings which resulted from crossing European mountain ash (Sorbus aucuparia) with Korean mountain ash (S. alnifolia). This selection has an upright oval shape and will mature at about 20 feet tall. The margins of the dark green leaves are deeply cut, giving the foliage a somewhat lacy appearance. 'Patio Pride'^TM produces clusters of small white flowers in spring and may produce clusters of rosy red fruits, though fruit production has been somewhat sparse in our nurseries, perhaps because of a lack of cross pollination.