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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Poplarville, Mississippi » Southern Horticultural Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #262637

Title: Notice to nurserymen of the naming and release for propagation of 'USS California' a new evergreen

Author
item Pounders Jr, Cecil

Submitted to: Germplasm Release
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/14/2010
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: not applicable

Technical Abstract: The Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, hereby releases to nurserymen a new evergreen compact ornamental Hibiscus rosa-sinensis cultivar ‘U.S.S. CALIFORNIA’, which is recommended for trial by nurserymen and professional horticulturists as a summer flowering container plant nationwide or as a flowering landscape shrub in cold hardiness zone 10. ‘U.S.S. CALIFORNIA’ was selected for its exceptional yellow flowers and outstanding appearance in containers, particularly for production in the South and marketing nationwide as a summer flowering accent plant for patios, pools or other outside areas.‘U.S.S. CALIFORNIA’ resulted from a cross of two polyploid Hibiscus rosa-sinensis clones, ‘Caroline’ x ‘Cherie’. Plants of ‘U.S.S. CALIFORNIA’ are semi-compact, upright spreading with prolific production of yellow (Yellow Group 12B) flowers of moderate size (11.5-13.5cm) with a small white , then a red swath of color at the base of each petal which is perceived as a small red eye in the flower. Pronounced white veins in the petals provide flowers a textured appearance. Old flowers abscise freely with no production of seed pods, even when pollinated. The green foliage color is more stable than many other yellow-flowered Hibiscus rosa-sinensis cultivars. Plants develop rapidly in containers and display good tolerance to common pests. Ultimate plant size is dependent on container size and environmental conditions with plants in a #3 nursery pot growing to 0.8 meters high x 0.4 meters wide within 6 months under optimum conditions. Under tropical landscape conditions plants should mature to approximately 3 meters high x 1.5 meters wide.