Hibiscus Dave Fleming Hybrid Cold Hardiness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing Hibiscus cultivars lack a combination of refined foliage, vibrant and long-lasting flowers, compact growth habit, and extreme hardiness, particularly in withstanding low winter temperatures and resisting diseases and environmental extremes.
Innovation Solution
A hybrid Hibiscus plant resulting from multiple crossings between Hibiscus moscheutos and Hibiscus coccineus, exhibiting unique characteristics such as purple, maple-shaped leaves and bright reddish-pink flowers, which is hardy to -30°F and resistant to diseases and environmental stressors, achieved through asexual propagation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If Hibiscus cultivars are bred for larger flowers and more vigorous growth, then flower size and plant vigor are improved, but hardiness to extreme cold temperatures deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines traits from multiple Hibiscus species (H. moscheutos, H. coccineus, and other hardy species) through hybridization to create a cultivar that simultaneously exhibits vigorous growth, large flowers, and extreme cold hardiness. This merging of genetic material from different species allows the accumulation of complementary traits that would not be present in single species.
Solution Approach 2:
The breeding program systematically varied genetic parameters through multiple crosses and selections over several generations, ultimately achieving a cultivar with the specific parameter combination of vigorous growth, large flower size, and hardiness to -30°F. The patent documents specific morphological parameters including flower diameter (6-8 inches), plant height (3-5 feet), and leaf characteristics that distinguish the improved cultivar.
2Reliability
If Hibiscus cultivars are bred for disease resistance and environmental stability, then resistance to diseases and insects is improved, but flower vibrancy and bloom duration deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges disease resistance traits from hardy parent species with flower quality traits from ornamental Hibiscus cultivars. The resulting 'Dave Fleming' cultivar exhibits both enhanced disease resistance (resistant to powdery mildew, rust, and insect pests) and superior flower quality (vibrant pink-red coloration, 6-8 inch diameter blooms lasting 5-7 days).
Solution Approach 2:
The breeding program optimized multiple parameters simultaneously including disease resistance levels, flower color intensity, bloom duration, and plant vigor. The patent specifies that flowers maintain vibrant coloration for 5-7 days and the plant shows resistance to multiple diseases and pests, demonstrating improvement in both reliability and aesthetic duration.
3Shape
If Hibiscus cultivars are bred for compact growth habit, then landscape utility is improved, but overall plant vigor and flower size deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent achieves a unique parameter combination where the plant maintains a compact form (3-5 feet tall and wide) while simultaneously exhibiting vigorous growth characteristics and producing large flowers (6-8 inches diameter). This represents a significant departure from the typical trade-off between compactness and vigor, creating a cultivar suitable for smaller landscapes that still delivers impressive floral displays.
Data Source
AI summary
A new and distinct cultivar of winter hardy Hibiscus plant named “Dave Fleming” is the result of a unique hybridization. This new and distinct cultivar is characterized primarily to its novelty by, its extreme cold hardiness to Zone 4, large, thick-textured and very overlapping, reddish-cerise flowers and its floriferous nature from midsummer until frost.