Details
| Full name | Tradescantia (Andersoniana Group) ‘Merlot Clusters’. |
| Name status | Accepted, the valid name for a unique cultivar. Described in a plant breeder’s rights application by Gooderham (2010). Although the legal protection was never granted, the name is now accepted and will be established once published (Brickell et al., 2016, Art. 27.1). |
| Origins | Origins documented by Gooderham (2010). Mutation from an unspecified plant, found in Bressingham, England. |
| Classification | Like other hardy garden hybrids, it is now placed in the Andersoniana Group. These hybrids are sometimes mislabelled as Tradescantia virginiana or the invalid botanical hybrid Tradescantia × andersoniana. |
| Legal protection | None. |
| Availability | Mass-produced and available from many nurseries. |
Description
Described by Gooderham (2010).
| Cultivar group | Tradescantia Andersoniana Group. |
| Growth habit | Upright. 45cm high. |
| Foliage | Moderate yellowish green (RHS 139B), in spring flushed red purple (RHS 61A). |
| Flowers | 3cm across. Petals are yellowish white (RHS 155B), flushing violet blue (RHS 92B) towards the centre. |
| Comparisons | Compared to Tradescantia (Andersoniana Group) ‘Osprey’, the flower buds are larger, purple instead of green, and the flowers have darker yellow stamens. |
References
Gooderham, P. (2010, June 15). Tradescantia virginiana ‘Merlot Clusters’ [EU plant breeder’s rights application 20100781]. Community Plant Variety Office. Application document link.
Brickell, C. D., Alexander, C., Cubey, J. J., David, J. C., Hoffman, M. H. A., Leslie, A. C., Malécot, V., Jin, X. (2016). International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants. PDF link.