Cornus Zelroc3423 Compact Growth Habit and Color Traits

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Solution Overview

Problem

There is a need for a compact, ornamental Cornus plant with creamy white flowers, green foliage, and bright red stems in winter, which can be easily distinguished from existing varieties and is well-suited for landscape use.

Innovation Solution

The new Cornus sericea variety 'Zelroc3423' exhibits a compact growth habit, produces creamy white flowers, has green foliage, and displays bright red stems in winter, making it suitable for ornamental purposes and easy to distinguish from other varieties.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If open pollination is used to create genetic diversity, then variety of plant characteristics is improved, but difficulty in selecting a single desirable trait combination increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegenetic diversityVSAvoidselection complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The plant variety performs self-service by naturally exhibiting the desired compact growth habit and color characteristics without requiring complex external selection processes. The variety serves its own selection purpose by being easily distinguishable from parent plants through its unique phenotype combination.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The invention utilizes color characteristics (cream flowers, green foliage, red stems) as visual markers to simplify the selection and identification process. These color changes provide an easy-to-detect phenotype that distinguishes the new variety from parent plants without requiring complex measurement or analysis.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #32Color changes

2Stability of the object's composition

If asexual propagation is used to maintain trait consistency, then homogeneity of characteristics is improved, but ability to introduce new genetic variation is worsened

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetrait consistencyVSAvoidgenetic variation

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The desired genetic combination was established in advance through open pollination and selection, creating a stable genotype that can then be reliably propagated asexually. The preliminary genetic selection ensures that subsequent asexual propagation maintains the desired traits without requiring further genetic variation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of operation

If compact growth habit is selected for landscape suitability, then ornamental value is improved, but overall plant size is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelandscape suitabilityVSAvoidplant size

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The invention applies local quality by concentrating ornamental value in specific features (flower color, foliage color, stem color) rather than requiring overall large plant size. The compact growth habit is compensated by enhanced local characteristics that provide ornamental value in small spaces.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUSPP36648P2<i>Cornus </i>plant named ‘Zelroc3423’

Publication Date: 2025.05.06 CONARD PYLE CO

AI summary

A new and distinct variety of Cornus plant, referred to by its cultivar name, ‘Zelroc3423’, is described. The new variety forms creamy, white colored flowers. The growth habit is compact. Green colored foliage is formed. Bright, red colored stems are exhibited in winter. Additionally, the new variety is particularly well suited for growing as distinctive ornamentation in the landscape.