Coreopsis Heartstrings Compact Habit and Dense Flowering
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for a new Coreopsis cultivar that exhibits distinct traits such as narrow foliage, compact height, dense habit, and heavy flowering with unique raspberry-reddish ray florets and creamy white edges, which are not present in existing cultivars.
Innovation Solution
The development of Coreopsis 'Heartstrings' through the cross between 'Hot Paprika' and an unnamed pollen parent, which demonstrates stability in asexual propagation and true-to-type reproduction, featuring dense flowering and adaptability to various environmental conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If existing Coreopsis cultivars are used, then flowering is produced, but the foliage is broad and the habit is open rather than narrow and compact
Solution Approach 1:
The cultivar exhibits local quality differentiation where the foliage structure is compact and narrow at the base but produces dense flowering clusters at the apex. The ray florets have differentiated color zones with creamy white edges and raspberry-reddish centers, creating local variation in appearance while maintaining overall compact form.
Solution Approach 2:
The flower head is a composite structure combining disk florets with ray florets that have bi-color characteristics (creamy white edges with raspberry-reddish centers). This composite floral structure creates visual complexity and density without increasing overall plant size.
2Duration of action of moving object
If existing Coreopsis cultivars are used, then flowers are produced, but the flowering period is short rather than prolonged
Solution Approach 1:
The cultivar displays continuous flowering action from mid-June through late summer, with flowers produced tightly and densely above the foliage throughout the entire period. The prolonged duration is maintained while keeping flower concentration high through continuous bud development and opening.
3Reliability
If the plant is propagated asexually by cuttings, then true-to-type reproduction is achieved, but stability must be maintained across generations
Solution Approach 1:
The plant reproduces true-to-type through asexual propagation by cuttings, where the cutting process itself serves to maintain the genetic and phenotypic characteristics. The plant's own tissue (cuttings) is used to create identical copies, eliminating the need for sexual reproduction and its associated genetic variation.
Data Source
AI summary
A new and distinct Threadleaf Coreopsis plant, Coreopsis verticillata plant named ‘Heartstrings’, with narrowly-linear, deeply-dissected, 3-lobed, to rarely 6-lobed foliage of bright-green and numerous flowers of rich reddish-raspberry ray florets with cream white edges over a prolonged flowering season from mid-June util late summer. The new plant is useful for landscaping as a specimen plant, en masse, in containers, and as a cut flower.