Salvia 'Perfect Profusion' Repeat Flowering and Compact Habit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current ornamental sage cultivars lack compact, winter-hardy varieties with densely arranged, pale icy blue flowers that repeat bloom after deadheading and have a vigorous, rounded habit.
Innovation Solution
Salvia 'Perfect Profusion' is a new cultivar developed from a cross between 'Crystal Blue' and 'Sensation Deep Rose', characterized by narrow pale icy blue flowers, stiff upright stems, strong repeat flowering, compact rounded habit, and rugose gray-green foliage, which are stable through asexual propagation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If ornamental sage cultivars are bred for compact, winter-hardy habit with densely arranged flowers, then plant compactness and hardiness are improved, but flower color intensity and bloom repetition are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by selectively breeding for specific floral parameters (pale icy blue color, narrow flower shape, dense verticil arrangement) while maintaining genetic traits for repeat flowering and winter hardiness. This resolves the contradiction by changing the parameter set to achieve compactness without sacrificing bloom repetition reliability
2Ease of manufacture
If ornamental sage cultivars are bred for darker flower colors and shorter habit, then visual impact is improved, but repeat flowering capability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the flower color parameter from dark violet-blue to pale icy blue, and adjusts habit parameters to achieve a balance between visual impact and repeat flowering capability. This parameter optimization resolves the contradiction by finding the optimal point on the spectrum between extreme color intensity and extended blooming duration
3Area of moving object
If ornamental sage cultivars are bred for broader flowers and less rounded habit, then individual flower size is improved, but overall plant compactness and winter hardiness are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating dense verticils of narrow flowers where individual flowers are modest in size but collectively form visually impactful clusters. This local optimization of floral arrangement compensates for smaller individual flower area while achieving overall plant compactness and rounded habit for winter hardiness
Data Source
AI summary
A new and distinct cultivar of perennial Salvia plant named ‘Prefect Profusion’ characterized by its narrow icy blue flowers in densely arranged in verticils. The new plant has a compact habit with stiff, upright, heavily-branched stems with strong tendency to repeat when deadheaded, a strong vigorous growth rate and rugose gray-green foliage.