Cornus kousa Cultivar SUMMER GOLD Summer Variegation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing Cornus kousa cultivars lack variegated foliage that maintains throughout the summer, with 'SUMMER GOLD' addressing this by exhibiting mid-green leaves with a prominent gold margin and retaining variegation beyond other comparable varieties.
Innovation Solution
A new Cornus kousa cultivar 'SUMMER GOLD' with mid-green leaves and a 15 mm wide gold margin, exhibiting vigorous growth and wider, flatter leaves than 'Okhan' and maintaining variegation throughout the summer, achieved through asexual propagation by grafting onto seedling understock.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If variegated foliage is introduced to Cornus kousa cultivars, then aesthetic value and visual appeal are improved, but the variegation is lost during summer months in existing cultivars
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by selecting and propagating a mutant plant with altered genetic parameters that enable sustained variegation. The gold margin variegation is maintained through asexual propagation by grafting, preserving the unique phenotypic parameters of mid-green leaves with prominent gold margins throughout the summer growing season, unlike other cultivars that lose variegation.
2Area of moving object
If wider and flatter leaves are produced, then foliage aesthetic and plant vigor are improved, but leaf shape complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by producing leaves with differentiated regional characteristics - the leaf blade exhibits distinct zones including a mid-green central area and a prominent gold margin region. This local differentiation creates the characteristic variegated pattern with wider, flatter leaf morphology while maintaining structural uniformity through controlled asexual propagation.
Data Source
AI summary
A new cultivar of Cornus plant named ‘SUMMER GOLD’ whose leaves are variegated mid-green with a prominent wide gold margin and whose variegation persists throughout the summer. In combination these traits set ‘SUMMER GOLD’ apart from all other existing varieties of Cornus known to the inventor.