Tana

Blue Honeysuckle

Variety Description

Varieties used for comparison: 'Kapu' (Yezberry Solo), 'Taka' and 'Borealis'

Summary: The plants of 'Tana' are taller than the plants of 'Taka' and 'Borealis' and narrower than those of 'Borealis'. The plants of 'Tana' have medium branching while the plants of 'Borealis' have strong branching. The leaf blade of 'Tana' is larger than the leaf blade of 'Kapu' and 'Taka' and shorter than the leaf blade of 'Borealis'. The tip of the leaf blade of 'Tana' is obtuse while the leaf blade tip of 'Taka' and 'Borealis' is acute. In spring, the upper side of the leaf blade of 'Tana' is light green whereas the leaf blade of 'Kapu' and 'Taka' is dark green. The plants of 'Tana' begin flowering and fruit ripening mid to late season whereas the plants of 'Borealis' begin flowering and fruit ripening early in the season. The sepal of 'Tana' is wide while the sepal of 'Kapu' and 'Taka' are medium width and that of 'Borealis' is narrow. In cross-section, the fruit of 'Tana' are narrow elliptic while the fruit of 'Taka' and 'Borealis' are broad elliptic. In lateral view, the fruit of 'Tana' are ovate and broad oblong while the fruit of 'Taka' are narrow oblong and the fruit of 'Borealis' are broad oblong. The tip of the fruit of 'Tana' is present while the fruit tip of 'Kapu' and 'Borealis' is absent. The eye opening of the fruit of 'Tana' is medium sized while the eye opening of the fruit of 'Kapu' is large. The fruit surface of 'Tana' is smooth while the fruit surface of 'Kapu' is intermediate (between smooth and rough). The apex of the fruit of 'Tana' has no tufts of hairs while the fruit apex of the reference varieties has tufts of hairs present.

Description:

PLANT: medium vigour, upright to spreading growth habit, medium degree of branching, early to mid-season bud burst
ONE-YEAR OLD SHOOT: no lenticels, absent or very sparse pubescence, red brown bark, strong development of adventitious buds
SHOOT TIP: absent or sparse pubescence, absent or weak glossiness of bark, very strong intensity of anthocyanin colouration

YOUNG LEAF: weak pubescence at base
LEAF BLADE: moderately elongated (length to width ratio is 2:1), obtuse apex, absent or very sparse to sparse pubescence on upper side, medium density pubescence mostly along midrib on lower side, light green on upper side in spring, light to medium green on upper side in summer
STEM-CLASPING LEAF: large

TIME OF BEGINNING OF FLOWERING: mid to late season
SEPAL: medium length, wide
FLOWER: sparse pubescence on corolla tube, downwards attitude, style longer than anther

TIME OF BEGINNING OF FRUIT RIPENING: mid to late season
FRUIT: narrow elliptic in cross-section, ovate and broad oblong in lateral view, calyx end is truncate and cordate, fruit tip present, medium sized eye opening, surface is smooth, tufts of hairs at apex mostly absent
FRUIT SKIN: strong bloom, dark intensity of blue colour

Origin & Breeding History: 'Tana' originated from a controlled cross made in Corvallis, Oregon, U.S.A. in 2004 and was bred and developed by the breeder Dr. Maxine M. Thompson. The cross was made between female parent variety 'No. 20-27' and an unnamed proprietary seedling 'No. 21-17' as the male parent variety. From the resulting progeny, 'Tana' was selected as a single seedling in June 2007 based on its plant growth habit, plant vigour; fruit appearance, taste and yield; frost, disease and pest tolerance. 'Tana' was first propagated by hardwood stem cuttings in 2008 in Corvallis, Oregon, U.S.A.

Tests & Trials: The comparative trial for 'Tana' was conducted in the field and examined during the summer of 2018 at BioFlora Inc. in St. Thomas, Ontario. The trial included a total of 7 plants of the candidate variety, 15 plants of the reference variety 'Kapu' and 7 plants of the reference varieties 'Taka' and 'Borealis'. All plants were grown from rooted cuttings and transplanted in the field on June 9, 2016. Observations and measurements were taken from 10 plants, or parts of plants, of each variety at various times throughout the summer of 2018. All colour determinations were made using the 2007 Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Colour Chart.

Comparison tables for 'Tana' with reference varieties 'Kapu', 'Taka' and 'Borealis'

Plant height (cm)

Plant width (cm)

Leaf blade length (cm)

Leaf blade width (cm)

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Blue Honeysuckle: 'Tana' (bottom left) with reference varieties 'Taka' (top left), 'Kapu' (top right), and 'Borealis' (bottom right)

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Blue Honeysuckle: 'Tana' (top left) with reference varieties 'Kapu' (top right), 'Taka' (bottom left) and 'Borealis' (bottom right)