Casca11 Festuca Glauca Cultivar Cascading Silver-Blue Foliage

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing Festuca glauca cultivars lack intense silver-blue foliage and cascading habit, and are not tolerant to heat, humidity, and drought, limiting their ornamental and landscape use in diverse environmental conditions.

Innovation Solution

The development of 'Casca11', a new cultivar of Festuca glauca with intensely silver-blue, cascading foliage and tolerance to heat, humidity, and drought, derived from a natural mutation of 'Elijah Blue' and propagated through division.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Shape

If existing Festuca glauca cultivars are used, then they have basic ornamental value, but they lack intense silver-blue foliage color and cascading habit

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecascading foliage habitVSAvoidenvironmental adaptability

Core Design Contradiction:

ShapeVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by selecting and propagating a natural mutation that exhibits altered foliage color intensity (intense silver-blue) and growth habit (cascading). This natural genetic variation represents a change in biological parameters that distinguishes 'Casca11' from parent cultivars, achieving the desired ornamental characteristics without environmental modification

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If existing Festuca glauca cultivars are used, then they are easier to maintain, but they are not tolerant to heat, humidity, and drought

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetolerance to heat, humidity, and droughtVSAvoidsensitivity to environmental stress

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The cultivar 'Casca11' exhibits changed physiological parameters through natural mutation that confer improved tolerance to environmental stressors including heat, humidity, and drought. This genetic parameter change enables reliable performance in diverse environmental conditions where existing cultivars would fail

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Illumination intensity

If existing Festuca glauca cultivars are used, then they have limited ornamental value, but they lack the intense silver-blue coloration retained throughout the growing season

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefoliage color intensityVSAvoidcolor retention throughout growing season

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The natural mutation in 'Casca11' produces a significant change in foliage color parameters, achieving intense silver-blue coloration that is maintained consistently throughout the entire growing season. This color stability represents a changed biological parameter that ensures continuous ornamental value

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The cultivar maintains its intense silver-blue foliage color continuously throughout the growing season without fading or changing, providing uninterrupted ornamental value. This continuous expression of the desired color trait distinguishes it from cultivars that may lose color intensity over time

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Data Source

PatentUSPP23307P2Festuca plant named `Casca11`

Publication Date: 2013.01.01 BLOM ANNEMARIE

AI summary

A new cultivar of Festuca glauca, ‘Casca11’, characterized its cascading foliage that is intensely silver-blue in color with the coloration retained throughout the growing season, and its tolerance to heat and humidity and drought.