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The article focuses on two low-growing cultivars of black chokeberry, 'UCONNAM012' (Ground HugVR) and 'UCONNAM165' (Low Scape MoundVR), highlighting their landscape adaptability and breeding origins. Topics include the characteristics, landscape use, and clonal propagation methods of these cultivars, emphasizing their potential as ornamental shrubs with multiseason interest and ecological benefits.

This document provides information about a specific cultivar of black chokeberry called 'UCONNAM166'. It is a non-rhizomatous shrub with upright growth and compact form, and it does not produce fruit. The plant is well-suited for full sun or partial shade conditions and can tolerate challenging landscape situations, such as dry soils. It has ornamental features throughout the year, including white flowers in May, shiny green leaves in summer, and colorful fall foliage. The cultivar is mostly sterile and unlikely to establish in native habitats. The document also provides information on the clonal propagation and availability of the cultivar. [Extracted from the article]

The article reports that Berberis thunbergii L. (Japanese barberry) holds significant market share in the commercial ornamental horticulture industry. Japanese barberry is grown by production nurseries and used in landscaping across the northern half of the U.S. It mentions that Japanese barberry's popularity as a commercial horticulture staple crop has also resulted from its ease of culture under production nursery conditions.

New Jersey tea (Ceanothus americanus L. [Rhamnaceae]), sand cherry (Prunus pumila L. [Rosaceae]), and sweetbells (Eubotrys racemosa L. [Ericaceae]) are eastern US native shrubs with high potential for expanded landscape use because of their numerous ornamental attributes and adaptability. Micropropagation protocols were developed for these species that produce acceptable shoot multiplication rates, 100% microcutting rooting, and high-quality liner plants. New Jersey tea is not easily produced from seed or stem cuttings for commercial purposes, but we have demonstrated that micropropagation is a viable method for commercial propagation. In addition, micropropagation can be effectively used to rapidly propagate new superior genotypes of sand cherry and sweetbells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intergeneric hybridization between Aronia and Pyrus may provide a pathway for developing novel fruit types with larger, sweeter fruits, while maintaining the high levels of biologically health-promoting compounds present in Aronia fruits. Here we describe a deleterious genetic incompatibility, known as hybrid necrosis or hybrid lethality, that occurs in intergeneric F1 hybrids of Aronia melanocarpa x Pyrus communis and 3Sorbaronia dippelii x Pyrus communis. Pollination experiments revealed that maternal A. melanocarpa and 3S. dippelii pistils are compatible with pollen from P. communis. Controlled pollinations using different mating combinations resulted in varying levels of fruit and seed set. Because every combination produced at least some viable seeds, prezygotic incompatibility does not appear to be present. We attempted to recover putative intergeneric progeny via either in vitro germination or in vitro shoot organogenesis from cotyledons. Progeny of putative hybrids from A. melanocarpa x P. communis only survived for a maximum of 14 days before succumbing to hybrid lethality. Regeneration of 3S. dippelii x P. communis was successful for two seedlings that have been maintained for an extended time in tissue culture. These two seedlings have leaf morphologies intermediate between the two parental genotypes. We also confirmed their hybrid status by using AFLPs and flow cytometry. Putative intergeneric hybrids were grown out ex vitro before showing symptoms of hybrid necrosis and dying after 3 months. Eventually micrografts failed, ultimately showing the same symptoms of hybrid necrosis. These results show that intergeneric hybridization is possible between Aronia and related genera in the Rosaceae, but there are postzygotic barriers to hybridity that can prevent the normal growth and development of the progeny. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To maximize yield, cannabidiol (CBD) hemp producers prefer female plants, and this is accomplished by using expensive feminized seed, vegetatively propagated female clones, or by removing male plants from dioecious seed lots. Hemp pollen drifts long distances on wind, and pollination of females reduces CBD content. Induction of triploidy is a common strategy used by plant breeders to produce sterile cultivars of agricultural crops. Triploid (3n) hemp, with three sets of chromosomes, was developed by crossing naturally diploid (2n) hemp with tetraploid (4n) hemp. Tetraploid plants used to create triploids were produced using pregerminated seeds and the mitotic spindle inhibitor colchicine. Seedlings from seeds of 'Abacas' 3 [('Otto2' 3 'BaOx') 3 ('BaOx' 3 'Colorado Cherry')] treated with 0.05% colchicine or 0.02% colchicine for 12 hours and longer were significantly shorter than controls and £1 cmtall at 10 days after sowing. Surviving seedlings exhibited thickened cotyledons and hypocotyls, which indicated a potential change in ploidy. Tetraploid induction ranged from 26% to 64% for pregerminated seeds of five different hemp cultivars (Abacus 3 Wife, Cherry Wine, Mountain Mango, Wife, and Youngsim10) treated with 0.05% colchicine for 12 hours. Tetraploids had nearly twice the DNA content as diploids according to flow cytometric analysis. Tetraploid 'Wife' had larger stomates and reduced stomatal density compared with diploid 'Wife'. Four triploid 'Wife' genotypes produced from crossing tetraploid 'Wife' with diploid 'Wife' were acclimated to greenhouse conditions after embryo rescue. DNA content and stomate size of triploid 'Wife' was intermediate between the parents. This is the first report of triploid plants of hemp. Future research will evaluate the sterility of triploid hemp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Northern bayberry [Morella (formerly Myrica) pensylvanica] is an attractive, adaptable, semievergreen, northeastern North American native shrub that is sought for landscaping but difficult to propagate clonally. The impact of timing (June, July, or August) and concentration of indole-3-butyric acid [IBA (0, 2000, 4000 or 8000 ppm)] on propagation by stem cuttings was evaluated for genotypes of northern bayberry including the female cultivars Bobzam (Bobbee™) and UConn Compact and an unnamed male. Medium formulation and cytokinin type were evaluated for micropropagation of ‘Bobzam’ and ‘UConn Compact’. Stem cuttings of ‘Bobzam’ and ‘UConn Compact’ rooted poorly (at ≤55% and ≤20%, respectively) at all timings and concentrations of IBA; however, rooting success of ≥85% was achieved for the unnamed male genotype when cuttings were taken in June. Micropropagation of ‘Bobzam’ was successful using Woody Plant medium with 4 mg·L−1 zeatin and explants taken from shoots that had expanded 12 to 18 cm on containerized stock plants. Initiated explants of ‘Bobzam’ required eight subcultures before they began to produce shoots consistently at a 2× multiplication rate and eventually reached a 3× multiplication rate. Micropropagation attempts using Murashige and Skoog medium, the cytokinins 6-benzylaminopurine, meta-topolin, and thidiazuron, or the cultivar ‘UConn Compact’ were unsuccessful. Microshoots of ‘Bobzam’ rooted at ≥80% either by in vitro prerooting or ex vitro rooting directly in trays. Rooted micro-cuttings easily acclimated to greenhouse conditions and grew rapidly when potted to 1.04-L containers and then into 5.68-L containers. The micropropagation protocol developed for ‘Bobzam’ can be used by propagators to expand production of this popular female cultivar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Total phenolics, anthocyanins and ORAC FL values from a large number of wild and cultivated genotypes of dark-fruited Aronia melanocarpa (diploid and tetraploid), Aronia prunifolia and Aronia mitschurinii were quantified and characterized in two consecutive years. The A. prunifolia taxonomic group had the highest total phenolic content. The diploid A. melanocarpa group had the highest ORAC FL values and A. mitschurinii the lowest values. Anthocyanin content was highest in the diploid A. melanocarpa group and also in the A. mitschurinii group in 2011. Anthocyanin content was lowest for the A. prunifolia group. Accessions UC009, UC047 and UC082 had elevated amounts of cyanidin-3-galactoside and reduced cyanidin-3-arabinoside, suggesting they have altered anthocyanin metabolism compared to most accessions. Polyphenol content for the same genotypes varied significantly between years, especially for wild germplasm. Wild Aronia genotypes represent a significant source of fruit biochemical diversity and have substantial potential for use directly in nutraceutical fruit production or in plant breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reports the development, characterization, and cross-species transferability of 20 genomic microsatellite markers for Aronia melanocarpa, an important nutraceutical fruit crop. The markers were developed with Illumina paired-end genomic sequencing technology using DNA from Professor Ed cultivar that was originally collected fromthe wild in NewHampshire. The markers were highly polymorphic and transferable to Aronia arbutifolia and Aronia prunifolia genomes. The average number of alleles per locus was 9.1, 4.5, and 5.6 for A. melanocarpa, A. arbutifolia, and A. prunifolia, respectively. The polymorphism information content (PIC) of loci ranged from 0.38 to 0.95 for all taxa, with an average of 0.80, 0.68, and 0.87 for A. melanocarpa, A. arbutifolia, and A. prunifolia, respectively. This is the first study to develop microsatellite markers in the Aronia genus. These markers will be very useful in studying the genetic diversity and population structure of wild Aronia and expediting the breeding efforts of this emerging fruit crop through marker-assisted selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Aronia Medik., also known as chokeberry, is a group of deciduous shrubs in the Rosaceae family, subtribe Malinae. The two commonly accepted black-fruited Aronia species are black chokeberry [Aronia melanocarpa (Michx.) Elliott] and aroniaberry [Aronia mitschurinii (A.K. Skvortsov & Maitul)]. The geographic range of wild A. melanocarpa is the Great Lakes region and the northeastern United States, with a southerly extension into the higher elevations of the Appalachian Mountains. Wild A. melanocarpa found in New England are diploids, whereas plants throughout the rest of the range are tetraploids. A. mitschurinii is a cultivated hybrid between ×Sorbaronia fallax (C.K.Schneid.) C.K.Schneid. and A. melanocarpa and exists as a tetraploid. There is currently limited diversity of Aronia genotypes in the ornamental and fruit industries, and many of the current cultivars are not adapted to the southern United States and similar environs with limited chilling to break winter dormancy. The goal of this study was to determine 1) the chilling requirements for A. mitschurinii 'Viking' and 2) the range of chilling requirements for wild A. melanocarpa genotypes from different geographic origins. Two experiments were conducted in which plants were subjected to various chilling accumulation treatments and then moved to a greenhouse for observation of budbreak and subsequent growth. Expt. 1 was conducted at the University of Maryland at Wye, MD, and focused solely on the commercial cultivar A. mitschurinii 'Viking'. Outdoor, ambient fall and winter temperatures were used to achieve the chilling treatments. In Expt. 1, we determined the optimal chilling requirements for A. mitschurinii 'Viking' to be greater than 900 h using the single temperature model. Expt. 2 was conducted at the University of Connecticut and focused on wild genotypes, plus A. mitschurinii 'Viking'. A fixed temperature cold room was used to achieve chilling treatments. In Expt. 2, we found A. melanocarpa genotypes from southern regions in the United States required chilling accumulation of 600 h (single temperature model), compared with genotypes from northern regions that required more than 900 h of chilling accumulation. Tetraploid A. melanocarpa required 900 h of chilling to break bud, but diploid A. melanocarpa required 1200 h of chilling to break bud. Expt. 2 confirmed the 900-h chilling requirement for A. mitschurinii 'Viking'. For both experiments, the rate of budbreak and shoot growth was positively correlated with increasing amounts of chilling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aroniaberry (Aronia mitschurinii) produces small pome fruits that possess health promoting compounds. Management practices for orchards are lacking, since aroniaberry is a relatively new crop. Pruning is an important cultural practice to optimize fruit yield in orchards. The response of an established aroniaberry orchard to pruning was evaluated over three years (2020 to 2022). Pruning treatments were as follows: 1) renewal pruning (removal of shoots to the base) only in year 1; 2) renewal pruning in year 1 + thinning to 18 shoots in year 2; 3) renewal pruning in year 1 + thinning to 9 shoots in year 2; and 4) no-pruning (control). In response to renewal pruning, plants grew uniformly and vigorously, producing 28 new vegetative primary shoots with an average length of 66 cm by the end of the first growing season. Limited flowering and fruiting occurred in the second season for plants receiving pruning treatments. Fruit yield on pruned plants was significantly less than for unpruned controls. In season 2, increased thinning of renewal-pruned plants negatively affected the number of inflorescences per plant, but positively affected individual fruit fresh weight and fruit °Brix:titratable acidity ratios. Fruits from all treatments had similar monomeric anthocyanins, total phenolics and mineral content. In season 3, flower production and predicted fruit yield from pruned plants and unpruned controls were similar, even though pruned plants were substantially smaller. In the third season, there were no longer any differences between renewed + thinned plants and those that received only renewal pruning, making shoot thinning an unnecessary practice. The results of this study demonstrate that renewal pruning can be an effective way to manage and rejuvenate an aging aroniaberry orchard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on purpleleaf sandcherry, Prunus and cistena, was first released in 1910 by N.E. Hansen at the South Dakota Agricultural Research Station (Jacobson, 1992). Topics include the hybrid was the result of a cross between Prunus pumila var. besseyi, a cold hardy shrub of North America, and Prunus cerasifera var. atropurpurea, and the hybrid appears to be mostly sterile, but can produce occasional small, and dark-purple to black fruit.

The article offers information about the Prunus pumila (L.), sandcherry, a native North American small shrub. It mentions about the ‘UCONNPP002' sandcherry is a new cultivar of the North American woody native species Prunus pumila. It discusses that U.S. plant patent application has been submitted and accepted by the U.S. Office of Patents and Trademarks for Prunus pumila ‘UCONNPP002'.

• AFLP analysis and ploidy were used to evaluate 132 accessions of Aronia. • Aronia was found to be comprised of four, or possibly five, species and seven taxonomic groups. • arbutifolia was tetraploid, and A. prunifolia was typically tetraploid, and rarely triploid. • Diploid A. melanocarpa were found in New England, but elsewhere they were tetraploid. • Formation of A. prunifolia as a hybrid of A. arbutifolia by A. melanocarpa is supported by AFLP analysis and ploidy. Speciation in Aronia is complex based on Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) and ploidy analysis of 132, mostly wild, accessions. There are four species of Aronia and seven taxonomic groups comprised of species by ploidy combinations. A. melanocarpa can be diploid or tetraploid, with diploid forms occurring in New England and tetraploid forms occurring primarily outside of New England. A. arbutifolia was only found as a tetraploid and did not appear to occur throughout parts of New England as is generally accepted. It is likely that numerous misidentifications of A. arbutifolia have occurred historically. Almost all wild A. prunifolia were tetraploid, with the exception of a single triploid plant. Evidence from AFLP analysis and several accessions expressing a continuum of morphological characteristics between those of A. arbutifolia and A. melanocarpa suggest that A. prunifolia is of interspecific hybrid origin. The occurrence of a natural triploid A. prunifolia accession and our ability to easily create triploid A. prunifolia progeny from diploid A. melanocarpa by tetraploid A. arbutifolia crosses supports the hybrid formation of the A. prunifolia species. Hybrid A. prunifolia origin is also supported by the prevalence of A. prunifolia accessions in geographic areas where A. arbutifolia and diploid A. melanocarpa interface. Most likely, tetraploid A. prunifolia found in the wild result from repeated formation of triploid F 1 interspecific hybrids and the triploid bridge mechanism. AFLP analysis, along with morphology and phenology, suggest that a new species of black-fruited Aronia (melanocarpa S) exists in the southern part of the A. melanocarpa geographic range. A. melanocarpa S plants are placed on a separate branch of the AFLP dendrogram that is separate from other Aronia species. Several accessions with large, wide leaves, large fruits and non-rhizomatous growth were found to be A. mitschurinii , an intergeneric hybrid between Aronia and Sorbus. All A. mitschurinii accessions were tetraploid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on Comptonia peregrina, is a species of flowering plant in the family Myricaceaeis typically 60 to 120 cm tall and produces leaves that are 5 to 12 cm long and 1.2 to 2.5 cm wide (Dirr, 2011).

Aronia Medik., commonly known as chokeberry, is a genus of deciduous, multistemmed, rosaceous shrubs native to eastern North America. Three species of chokeberry are commonly accepted, A. arbutifolia (L.) Pers., red chokeberry, A. melanocarpa (Michx.) Elliott, black chokeberry, and A. prunifolia (Marshall) Rehder, or purple chokeberry. In Europe, a fourth species of human origin is recognized us Aronia mitschurinii A.K.Skvortsov & Maitul. In North America this type of Aronia is described as cultivars of A. melanocarpa, including 'Viking', 'Nero', and 'Aron'. This species is characterized by near homogeneity of the population, tetraploidy, and a distinct morphology with more robust stems, wider leaf blades, and larger fruits than wild populations of A. melanocarpa. It has been proposed that this genotype originated from Russian pomologist Ivan Michurin's early 20th century experiments involving Aronia x Sorbus hybridization. In this study we used amplified fragment length polymorphic (AFLP) markers to elucidate the relationships of A. mitschurinii to wild North American Aronia, x Sorbaronia C.K. Schneid, Sorbus L., and six additional genera from subtribe Pyrinae (Rosaceae). Data from seven primer combinations were interpreted by the NTSYSpc software package into a similarity matrix using Jaccard's coefficient. Clustering of AFLP similarity data using the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) identified A. mitschurinii as distinct from wild Aronia, grouping it close to x Sorbaronia fallax C. K. Schneid. and x Sorbaronia 'Ivan's Beauty'. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (nMDS) also demonstrated a relationship between A. mitschurinii, x Sorbaronia fallax, a x Sorbaronia x Aronia backcross and compound-leaved Sorbus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii DC.) is a popular ornamental shrub used in garden and urban landscaping. Currently there are over 60 B. thunbergii cultivars in the market. To better distinguish its cultivars, we used the amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) technique to develop DNA marker profiles for 59 cultivars and hybrids. These markers were used to authenticate the trueness-to-name of B. thunbergii cultivars in production and in the market, control for intracultivar genetic variants, and develop a molecular key to identify cultivars approved for importation in Canada. Polymorphic markers from seven primer combinations were able to clearly differentiate 57 of 59 cultivars evaluated. Two cultivars, Aurea and Aurea Nana, could not be differentiated because they had identical marker profiles. Among the 274 plants tested, 263 were confirmed to be true-to-name and correctly labeled, whereas 11 plants could not be confirmed true-to-name. Seven of the 20 cultivars evaluated exhibited detectable intracultivar genetic variation. 'Crimson Pygmy' had the highest number of plants exhibiting genetic variability. Overall, nursery producers and retailers do not appear to be mixing or mislabeling cultivars. A molecular key developed from a subset of 25 markers was able to accurately identify and differentiate the 11 B. thunbergii cultivars approved for importation in Canada. This key could be used in a cultivar verification program to facilitate international trade of B. thunbergii cultivars where wheat rust is a concern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Winged euonymus [Euonymus alatus (Thunb.)] is an important landscape shrub that has demonstrated its potential to be invasive in numerous states across the central and northern United States. Nine cultivars were evaluated for their potential to produce fruits and seeds in a randomized, replicated field planting. Seeds from all cultivars were evaluated for germination rate and initial survival in a deciduous woodland. Seeds collected from 'Compactus' were also sown in five natural environments (full sun meadow, edge of woods, moist woods, dry woods, pine woods) to determine which habitat types support its germination and establishment. Seed production for cultivars varied from 981 to 6090 seeds per plant. The dry deciduous woods and pine woods were the only environments that supported significant germination rates that could be as high as 37.8%. Seedling survival was at least 77% in the deciduous dry woods and at least 55% in the pine woods. In the first replication, establishment rates for cultivars in the dry deciduous woods ranged from a low of 6.5% for 'Odom' Little Moses™ to a high of 42.5% for 'Monstrosus'. In the second replication, all cultivars achieved over 30% establishment and most exceeded 40% establishment. An estimate of the annual seedling contribution per plant per cultivar was calculated by combining seed production data with establishment data for each cultivar. This estimate was predicted to range from 588 to 3763 and therefore none of the nine cultivars evaluated should be considered non-invasive based on our findings. Our findings show that germination and seedling survival rates are high for E. alatus and because the species is long-lived, cultivars will likely have to be completely seed-sterile to be considered non-invasive according to demographic models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the role of an ornamental, purple-leaved specimen of Japanese barberry in a local invasion using parentage analysis. We focused on a landscape plant of B. thunbergii var. atropurpurea in Willington, CT, that was first established at least 30 years ago. We genotyped every barberry plant found within a 92-m radius of this individual, in contrast to feral populations that are distant from residential or commercial plantings, 14% of the 43 feral plants in our sample had purple foliage and 30% were found growing within 16.5 m of the focal individual. Parentage analysis identified seven plants (five purple-leaved and two green-leaved) as descendants of the focal individual. Five of these descendants are likely first-generation offspring and two are likely second-generation seedlings, in addition, one plant was identified as a backcross between the focal plant and one of its offspring. Our results show that purple-leaved Japanese barberry used in residential landscapes can contribute to plant invasions, at least under some circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii DC) is an invasive shrub, widely naturalized across the United States, whose numerous cultivars remain an important horticultural commodity. Maintaining this crop for the future necessitates the development of sterile clones. Exposure to the mitotic inhibitors colchicine and oryzalin is a traditional method for inducing tetraploidy in breeding lines as a precursor to creating sterile genotypes. Treatments utilized pre-germinated B. t. var. atropurpurea seeds with emerged radicles. Seeds were immersed in aqueous solutions of colchicine (.02%, .05%, .1% and .2%) and oryzalin (.002%, .005%, .01% and .02%) dissolved in 1% DMSO for 6, 12 and 24h durations. Seedling ploidy level was determined via flow cytometry following 6 and 52 weeks of growth in the greenhouse. Both anti-mitotic chemicals proved effective at inducing tetraploidy and produced comparable efficiency rates. The survival rate of treated seeds decreased in response to both increased mitotic inhibitor concentration and longer exposure duration. While exposure to oryzalin produced greater seed mortality than colchicine, most seedlings that survived had altered ploidy levels. The most efficient oryzalin concentration was 0.002% with a rating of 28%, while the most efficient colchicine concentrations were in the range from 0.05% to 0.2%. Duration of exposure to mitotic inhibitor was not a significant factor over the range from 6 to 24h. Reversion of tetraploid plants to the diploid state occurred at a low frequency following a dormancy period. Some tetraploid seedlings derived from exposure to both chemicals displayed foliar abnormalities including irregular leaf margins and mottled lamina. The primary advantage of colchicine was low seedling toxicity, while oryzalin was notable for its ability to induce tetraploidy at low concentrations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii DC.) is a widespread invasive plant that remains an important landscape shrub represented by ornamental, purple-leaved forms of the botanical variety atropurpurea. These forms differ greatly in appearance from feral plants, bringing into question whether they contribute to invasive populations or whether the invasions represent self-sustaining populations derived from the initial introduction of the species in the late 19th century. In this study we used amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers to determine whether genetic contributions from B. t. var. atropurpurea are found within naturalized Japanese barberry populations in southern New England. Bayesian clustering of AFLP genotypes and principal coordinate analysis distinguished B. t. var. atropurpurea genotypes from 85 plants representing five invasive populations. While a single feral plant resembled B. t. var. atropurpurea phenotypically and fell within the same genetic cluster, all other naturalized plants sampled were genetically distinct from the purple-leaved genotypes. Seven plants from two different sites possessed morphology consistent with Berberis vulgaris (common barberry) or B. × ottawensis (B. thunbergii × B. vulgaris). Genetic analysis placed these plants in two clusters separate from B. thunbergii. Although the Bayesian analysis indicated some introgression of B. t. var. atropurpurea and B. vulgaris, these genotypes have had limited influence on extant feral populations of B. thunbergii. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii DC.) is an acknowledged invasive plant naturalized throughout the eastern and northern U.S., the danger posed by its popular horticultural forms is unknown and controversial. This work analyzed the reproductive potential and seedling growth of four ornamental genotypes Important to the nursery industry. Fruit and seed production was quantified In 2001, 2002, and 2003 for multiple landscape plants of B.t. var. atropurpurea, 'Aurea', 'Crimson Pygmy', and 'Rose Glow'. The overage number of seeds produced per landscape specimen ranged from lows of 75 and 90 for 'Aurea' and 'Crimson Pygmy' to 2968 for var. atropurpurea and 762 for 'Rose Glow'. Seed production relative to canopy surface area for 'Rose Glow' was similar to 'Aurea' and 'Crimson Pygmy' and all three cultivars were less prolific than var. atropurpurea in this regard. Cleaned and stratified seeds from var. atropurpurea, 'Crimson Pygmy' and 'Rose Glow' showed an average greenhouse germination rate of 70% to 75%, while 'Aurea' yielded 46% germination. A subpopulation of seedlings from each genotype accession was grown further outdoors in containers for a fag season to ascertain seedling vigor and development. The vigor of 1-year-old seedlings, as measured by dry weight of canopy growth, for progeny derived from 'Aurea' (0.70 g) and 'Crimson Pygmy' (0.93 g) was significantly less than var. atropurpurea (1.20 g) and 'Rose Glow' (1.33 g), These results demonstrate that popular japanese barberry cultivars express disparate reproductive potential that, after further study, may be correlated with invasive potential. Some popular commercial cultivars may pose significantly less ecological risk than others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epimedium is a genus of shade tolerant herbaceous perennials and groundcovers that are slow growing and command high prices. This research examined the influence of division size and timing on propagation success and growth of E. pinnatum ssp. colchicum Boiss., E. x rubrum Morren, E. x versicolor 'Sulphureum' Morren and E. x youngianum Fisch. To determine an appropriate division size for each species, small (single bud) and large (three bud) divisions were made in mid-June 2002 and 2003. For the timing study, uniform divisions (three to five buds for E. pinnatum ssp. colchicum and E. x versicolor 'Sulphureum'; four to seven buds for E. x rubrum and E. x youngianum) were made in March, late June and late August, when plants were dormant, had just completed foliage expansion, or were summer dormant. Half of the plants were destructively harvested in the fall and half were overwintered and forced in the greenhouse in early spring. By the end of the growing season, plants grown from large divisions were larger than those grown from small divisions and had produced more buds, however, plants from small divisions produced more buds per initial bud than plants from large divisions, demonstrating a faster increase in growing points. For each species, March divisions produced more vegetative growth, buds, buds per initial bud and potential propagules than June and August divisions, by the end of the growing season. However, by the following spring, both March and June divisions had produced plants of similar size and appearance, while plants grown from August divisions were smaller and of lower quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Feminized hemp seed producers often use selfing to maintain a strain name; however, selfing may lead to inferior plants for cannabidiol (CBD) production. Using three different hemp strains as parents [Candida (CD-1), Dinamed CBD, and Abacus], two outcrosses [Candida (CD-1) 3 Abacus and Dinamed CBD 3 Candida (CD-1)] and one self-cross [Candida (CD-1)3Candida (CD-1)] were conducted to produce feminized seed. Progeny from the self-cross were significantly smaller and had less yield than outcrossed progeny. Selfed progeny were variegated and highly variable for total dry weight and floral dry weight. Discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC) using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) separated the three progeny populations and showed that outcrossed populations clustered closer to the maternal parent, possibly the result of a maternal effect. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) indicated that most variation (74.5%) was within populations, because the progeny from all three populations are half-siblings of each other. The selfed progeny population had lower expected heterozygosity (He = 0.085) than each of the outcrossed progeny populations (He ≈ 0.10). These results suggest that selfed progeny may demonstrate inbreeding depression resulting from enhanced expression of homozygous recessive traits. It may be beneficial for feminized seed producers to use outcrossing instead of selfing to generate feminized seed for CBD production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interest in native landscape plants to support pollinators has increased. Most native plants sold by nurseries are cultivars, and some consumer and conservation groups question the suitability of native cultivars to support pollinators. In 2017 and 2018, insect pollinator visitation was quantified for six native shrub species and one or more cultivars of each species (Aronia melanocarpa, A. melanocarpa 'UCONNAM012' Ground Hog®, A. melanocarpa 'UCONNAM165' Low Scape Mound®, Clethra alnifolia, C. alnifolia 'Hummingbird', C. alnifolia 'Ruby Spice', Dasiphora fruticosa, D. fruticosa 'Goldfinger', D. fruticosa 'Pink Beauty', Hydrangea arborescens, H. arborescens 'Annabelle', Kalmia latifolia, K. latifolia 'Sarah', Physocarpus opulifolius, and P. opulifolius 'Monlo' Diabolo®). Insects were identified into 12 categories (Apis mellifera, Bombus spp., Andrenidae, Halictidae, Megachilidae, other bees, Lepidoptera, Syrphidae, other flies, wasps, Coleoptera, and other insects). The number of inflorescences and insect visitation was similar for C. alnifolia and its cultivars, and the compact cultivar Hummingbird had the greatest floral density. A. melanocarpa had more total visitors of Andrenidae than both of its compact cultivars because it was larger and produced more inflorescences. Compact Aronia cultivars and the straight species were mostly similar for Andrenidae visitation when compared on a per-inflorescence basis. D. fruticosa had more visitors of Bombus spp. and Megachilidae than both of its cultivars. These insects may have been less attracted to 'Pink Beauty' because of its pink flower color and 'Goldfinger' because of its wider flowers, which result from it being a tetraploid. H. arborescens 'Annabelle' had one-third the number of Bombus spp. visitors as H. arborescens because 'Annabelle' produces >50% fewer fertile florets. P. opulifolius 'Monlo' attracted more syrphids than P. opulifolius possibly because flowers contrasted more strongly with the reddish purple foliage of 'Monlo' than with the green foliage of the straight species. Insect visitation was similar for K. latifolia and K. latifolia 'Sarah'. Based on this work, we determined that native shrub cultivars are not universally less or more attractive to pollinators and must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides information on Summer Skies, a variegate cultivar of Buddleja davidii, a large woody subshrub commonly called butterfly bush. Buddleja davidii has a colorful, fragrant floral panicles which attract hummingbirds and butterflies and is an important and favored landscape ornamental. Summer Skies, which was generated through the use of chemical mutagenesis, was released to offer a cultivar with improved variegation and landscape performance.

The objective of this study was to develop an in vitro shoot regeneration procedure and to evaluate the frequency of adventitious shoot regeneration from: (1) in vitro leaves of a commercial cultivar of Aronia mitschurinii on various media treatments; (2) cotyledons of closely related Pyrinae taxa; and (3) 21 wild Aronia genotypes. Optimum regeneration of leaf explants occurred when they were wounded with two transverse cuts along the midrib and placed on Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal media containing 5 μM indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and 10 μM thidiazuron (TDZ). TDZ was more effective than 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) as a cytokinin, and IBA was more effective than the no auxin control, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA). Regeneration from cotyledons of seven Pyrinae taxa was evaluated using 10 μM BAP in combination with 0.1, 1 and 5 μM NAA. Adventitious shoot formation for A. melanocarpa and P. communis responded best to 1 μM NAA, whereas all other taxa formed a greater number of adventitious shoots on 5 μM NAA. A. mitschurinii cotyledon explants produced a significantly greater number of shoots compared with in vitro leaf explants. The number of shoots forming per cotyledon explant and the percent of explants forming shoots were both significantly different among the 21 Aronia genotypes. Significant differences were observed between the six Aronia taxonomic groups for the number of shoots forming per explant. Diploid and tetraploid Aronia genotypes produced a significantly greater number of shoots per explant than did triploid genotypes. Regenerated shoots were rooted in vitro and plants grew normally in the greenhouse. These results will be useful for future studies using leaf and cotyledon explants for genetic transformation, genome editing and mutation breeding with Aronia and related taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comptonia peregrina is a desirable native ornamental plant for challenging landscapes, but it cannot be produced using conventional softwood stem cuttings. We demonstrate that C. peregrina can be successfully propagated using young shoots (6 to 8 cm in length) recently emerged from rhizomes taken as cuttings. Although significantly more cuttings rooted using intermittent mist (99%) than propagation dome (70%), cuttings under propagation domes had greater shoot counts. Due to the drier and warmer conditions under propagation domes, cutting shoot tips were killed, which relieved apical dominance and stimulated lateral budbreak. Cuttings rooted under propagation domes produced plants having greater height, width, and size after 90 d than cuttings rooted under intermittent mist. Treatment of cuttings with talc-based rooting hormone at 3000 and 8000 ppm indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) significantly improved rooting percentage and shoot count over untreated cuttings. Cuttings treated with 8000 ppm IBA produced the most roots. Container plants grown from cuttings and pruned to 7 cmin height produced twice as many shoots as unpruned plants. Using cuttings taken from young shoots (6 to 8 cm) produced from rhizomes, 3000 or 8000 ppm IBA, and intermittent mist nursery growers can achieve rooting percentages for C. peregrina above the 80% benchmark preferred for commercial plant production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aronia is a group of deciduous fruiting shrubs, of the Rosaceae family, native to eastern North America. Interest in Aronia has increased because of the high levels of dietary antioxidants in Aronia fruits. Using Illumina RNA-seq transcriptome analysis, this study investigates the molecular mechanisms of polyphenol biosynthesis during Aronia fruit development. Six A. melanocarpa (diploid) accessions were collected at four fruit developmental stages. De novo assembly was performed with 341 million clean reads from 24 samples and assembled into 90,008 transcripts with an average length of 801 bp. The transcriptome had 96.1% complete according to Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs (BUSCOs). The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in flavonoid biosynthetic and metabolic processes, pigment biosynthesis, carbohydrate metabolic processes, and polysaccharide metabolic processes based on significant Gene Ontology (GO) biological terms. The expression of ten anthocyanin biosynthetic genes showed significant up-regulation during fruit development according to the transcriptomic data, which was further confirmed using qRT-PCR expression analyses. Additionally, transcription factor genes were identified among the DEGs. Using a transient expression assay, we confirmed that AmMYB10 induces anthocyanin biosynthesis. The de novo transcriptome data provides a valuable resource for the understanding the molecular mechanisms of fruit anthocyanin biosynthesis in Aronia and species of the Rosaceae family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The shade-tolerant, variegated grass Hakonechloa macra Aureola is a valuable ornamental. In an experiment replicated in two growing seasons, Hakonechloa plants were fertilized at each irrigation (fertigation) with factorial combinations of three fertilizer formulations (N:P molar ratios 5:1, 10:1, and 20:1) at five N concentrations (2, 4, 8, 16, and 32 mmol.L-1), along with an unfertilized control, to determine the effect of N:P ratio and N concentration on vegetative growth and to establish fertility guidelines for production. Root dry weight and tiller bud growth increased slightly as N:P ratio increased. Fertilizer N concentration of 16 mmol.L-1 promoted the most shoot growth, whereas the number of tiller buds and root growth were greatest at 2 and 4 mmol.L-1 N. No interaction occurred between N:P ratio and fertilizer concentration. Results indicate that an N concentration of 8 mmol.L-1, with an N:P ratio of 10:1 or 20:1 is optimal for production of Hakonechloa. At this fertilizer concentration, the mean electrical conductivity of extracts obtained by a solution displacement extraction (pour-through) procedure was 2.3 ± 0.45 dS.m-1 (mean ±standard deviation). Tissue nutrient concentrations of N, P, K, Ca, and Mg were (in mg.g-1): 24.0, 2.8, 14.3, 2.1, and 2.1, respectively. In a concurrent study, Hakonechloa plants were grown in pine bark : peat : sand mix with dolomitic lime added at 0, 1.2, 3.6, and 9.5 kg.m-3 producing pH ranging from ≈4.5 to 7.2. Growth of Hakonechloa was greatest with no lime (pH 4.5) and declined markedly as the rate of lime increased. Concentrations of N, P, and K in shoot tissue were greatest at a pH between 4.5 and 5.6 (0 and 1.2 kg.m-3 dolomitic lime). These findings clearly support recommending production of Hakonechloa in soilless potting mix with pH ≈4.5 and constant fertigation with N... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the characterization of tissue proliferation with reference to the habituated Rhododendron `montego' (Ericaceae) cultures. Propagation of a significant proportion of rhododendron; How tissue proliferation is characterized; Observation of an abnormal phenotype.

• Premise of the study: Microsatellite markers were isolated and characterized in Berberis thunbergii , an invasive and ornamental shrub in the eastern United States, to assess genetic diversity among populations and potentially identify horticultural cultivars. • Methods and Results: A total of 12 loci were identifi ed for the species. Eight of the loci were polymorphic and were screened in 24 individuals from two native (Tochigi and Ibaraki prefectures, Japan) and one invasive (Connecticut, USA) population and 21 horticultural cultivars. The number of alleles per locus ranged from three to seven, and observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.048 to 0.636. • Conclusions: These new markers will provide tools for examining genetic relatedness of B. thunbergii plants in the native and invasive range, including phylogeographic studies and assessment of rapid evolution in the invasive range. These markers may also provide tools for examining hybridization with other related species in the invasive range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Aronia Medik., also known as chokeberry, is a group of deciduous shrubs in the Rosaceae family, subtribe Pyrinae. The four commonly accepted species include A. arbutifolia (L.) Pers., red chokeberry; A. melanocarpa (Michx.) Elliott, black chokeberry; A. prunifolia (Marshall) Reheder, purple chokeberry; and A. mitschurinii (A.K. Skvortsov & Maitul). Wild and domesticated Aronia species are found as diploids, triploids, and tetraploids. Genetic improvement of polyploid Aronia genotypes has been limited by suspected apomixis, which may be widespread or distinct to tetraploids. The objectives of this study were to elucidate the reproductive mechanisms of Aronia species and reveal the occurrence of apomixis within the genus and along ploidy lines. Twenty-nine Aronia accessions [five A. melanocarpa (2×), five A. melanocarpa (4×), eight A. prunifolia (3×), four A. prunifolia (4×), six A. arbutifolia (4×), and one A. mitschurinii (4×)] were used in this study. Intra-accession variability was evaluated by growing out progeny from each open-pollinated maternal accession and comparing plant phenotypes, ploidy levels, and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) marker profiles between the progeny and maternal accession. Progeny of diploid and tetraploid maternal plants had ploidy levels identical to maternal plants, except for UC009 (A. melanocarpa, 2×) which produced a mix of diploids and tetraploids. UC143 and UC149 (A. prunifolia, 3×) produced all triploid offspring, whereas all other triploid accessions produced offspring with variable ploidy levels including 2×, 3×, 4×, and 5×. Pentaploid Aronia has not been previously reported. Diploid accessions produced significant AFLP genetic variation (0.68-0.78 Jaccard's similarity coefficient) in progeny, which is indicative of sexual reproduction. Seedlings from tetraploid accessions had very little AFLP genetic variation (0.93-0.98 Jaccard's similarity coefficient) in comparison with their maternal accession. The very limited genetic variation suggests the occurrence of limited diplosporous apomixis with one round of meiotic division in tetraploid progeny. Triploid accessions appear to reproduce sexually or apomictically, or both, depending on the individual. These results support our understanding of Aronia reproductive mechanisms and will help guide future breeding efforts of polyploid Aronia species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interest in nutrient-rich berry juices is growing, but their high polyphenol levels render them sensorily unappealing. Fifty adults, who were assessed for sensory phenotype and dietary behaviors, provided sensory and palatability ratings of juices from 'Viking' aronia berries for each of seven harvest weeks. By peak harvest, juice preference increased two-fold, averaging neither like/dislike. This hedonic shift was associated with: increases in juice sugars paralleling increases in perceived sweetness (maximum = weak); reductions in percent acidity paralleling reductions in sourness (minimum = moderate), astringency (minimum = to just above weak) and bitterness (minimum = just below weak). About 25% of adults liked the aronia juice, including adults who also liked an aqueous citric acid solution (average rating = moderately sour) or those who reported adventurous eating behaviors. Bitter taste phenotype, measured by propylthiouracil or quinine bitterness, failed to explain significant variation in juice sensation or preference. We also collected sensory and preference ratings from juice collected at peak harvest blended with sugar and/or sweet olfactory flavoring (10 ppm ethyl butyrate). Increasing juice sweetness by adding 5% sucrose decreased sourness and improved preference from weak dislike to weak like. Adding sweet olfactory flavoring decreased juice sourness without changing preference. Adding sweet flavoring and 3% sucrose resulted in reduction of sourness and improvements in preference ratings comparable to 5% added sucrose. Neither added sugar nor flavoring blocked juice astringency. In summary, these findings suggest that aronia juice, even from berries picked at peak harvest, appealed to only a few adults (sour likers or adventurous eaters). Although enhanced sweetness, with added sugar and sweet olfactory flavoring, improved aronia juice preference, broader sensory approaches are required to blunt astringency for greater consumer appeal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this work was to characterize how the date of harvest of ‘Viking’ aronia berry impacts juice pigmentation, sugars, and antioxidant activity. Aronia juice anthocyanins doubled at the fifth week of the harvest, and then decreased. Juice hydroxycinnamic acids decreased 33% from the first week, while proanthocyanidins increased 64%. Juice fructose and glucose plateaued at the fourth week, but sorbitol increased 40% to the seventh harvest week. Aronia juice pigment density increased due to anthocyanin concentration, and polyphenol copigmentation did not significantly affect juice pigmentation. Anthocyanin stability at pH 4.5 was similar between weeks. However, addition of quercetin, sorbitol, and chlorogenic acid to aronia anthocyanins inhibited pH-induced loss of color. Sorbitol and citric acid may be partially responsible for weekly variation in antioxidant activity, as addition of these agents inhibited DPPH scavenging 13–30%. Thus, aronia polyphenol and non-polyphenol components contribute to its colorant and antioxidant functionality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]