Latin name of the genus and species:Dianthus hybrida.

Variety denomination: ‘G18139’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The newDianthuscultivar is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the inventor at a research nursery in Bellefonte, Pa. The cross resulting in this new variety was made in December of 2017.

The seed parent is the unpatented proprietary variety referred to asDianthus‘G17-018’. The pollen parent is the unpatented proprietary variety referred to asDianthus‘G17-024’. The new variety was selected in June of 2018 by the inventor in a group of seedlings resulting from the 2017 cross-pollination, in a nursery in Bellefonte, Pa.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was performed by vegetative cuttings. This was first performed at the same nursery in in Bellefonte, Pa. during July of 2018, and has shown that the unique features of this cultivar are stable and reproduced true to type in multiple successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar ‘G18139’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, day length, and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘G18139’ These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘G18139’ as a new and distinctDianthuscultivar:1. Flowers are mid-rose in color, with a distinct white eye, and a slightly variable white picotee edge.2. Flowers continuously in a greenhouse under ambient (natural) lighting.3. Flowers constantly outdoors (in-ground) from late May through early November at 41N latitude.4. Large flowers on short peduncles, forming a dense floral canopy just above the foliage.5. Good winter-hardiness (USDA z5, at least) and good winter survival.6. Healthy plants and leaves with constant growth from center (does not form “donut” or “birds' nest”).7. Strong field-tolerance to commonDianthuspathogens.

PARENT COMPARISON

Plants of the new cultivar ‘G18139’ are similar to plants of the seed parent in most horticultural characteristics; however, plants of the new cultivar ‘G18139’ differ in the following:1. New variety ‘G18139’ has rose-pink flowers with a white “eye”, and a slight white picotee flower edge. Seed parent ‘G17-018’ has light pink flowers with a dark violet eye.2. New variety ‘G18139’ has grey-green foliage. Seed parent ‘G17-018’ has silvery-blue leaves.3. New variety ‘G18139’ has relatively short peduncles. Seed parent ‘G17-018’ has much longer peduncles.4. New variety ‘G18139’ flowers continuously under natural light at 41N latitude. Seed parent ‘G17-018’ repeat-blooms, cycling in and out of flower.5. New variety ‘G18139’ is field-tolerant ofDianthusleaf and crown pathogens. Seed parent ‘G17-018’ is not tolerant, and typically dies out in the center, forming a “donut” of healthy foliage around a dead center.

Plants of the new cultivar ‘G18139’ are similar to plants of the pollen parent in most horticultural characteristics; however, plants of the new cultivar ‘G18139’ differ in the following:1. New variety ‘G18139’ has rose-pink flowers with a white “eye”, and a slight white picotee flower edge. Pollen parent ‘G17-024’ has light pink flowers and no eye.2. New variety ‘G18139’ has grey-green foliage. Pollen parent ‘G17-024’ has medium-green leaves.3. New variety ‘G18139’ has short peduncles. Pollen parent ‘G17-024’ has much shorter peduncles, so that the flowers are very close to the foliage.4. New variety ‘G18139’ flowers continuously under natural light at 41N latitude. Pollen parent ‘G17-024’ repeat-blooms, cycling in and out of flower.5. New variety ‘G18139’ is field-tolerant ofDianthusleaf and crown pathogens. Pollen parent ‘G17-024’ is not especially tolerant, and typically dies out in the center, forming a “donut” of healthy foliage around a dead center.

COMMERCIAL COMPARISON

Plants of the new cultivar ‘G18139’ are comparable to the commercial varietyDianthus‘Devon Esther’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 18,222. The twoDianthusvarieties are similar in most horticultural characteristics, however, the new variety ‘G18139’ differs in the following:1. New variety ‘G18139’ is single-flowered. Comparison variety ‘Devon Esther’ is double- flowered.2. New variety ‘G18139’ flowers continuously under natural light at 41N latitude. Comparison variety ‘Devon Esther’ repeat-blooms under similar conditions.3. New variety ‘G18139’ has grey-green foliage. Comparison variety ‘Devon Esther’ has silvery- blue leaves.4. New variety ‘G18139’ has rose-pink flowers with a white “eye”, and a slight white picotee flower edge. Comparison variety ‘Devon Esther’ has lavender-rose flowers with a violet eye.5. New variety ‘G18139’ is more compact, with shorter flower peduncles. Comparison variety ‘Devon Esther’ is taller with longer flower peduncles.

Plants of the new cultivar ‘G18139’ are comparable to the commercial varietyDianthus‘Uribest52’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 28,239. The twoDianthusvarieties are similar in most horticultural characteristics; however, the new variety ‘G18139’ differs in the following:1. New variety ‘G18139’ has bright-rose pink flowers. Comparison variety ‘Uribest52’ has deep red-purple flowers.2. Flowers of variety ‘G18139’ have a white eye, and a slight white picotee edge. Comparison variety ‘Uribest52’ has no eye in its flowers.3. New variety ‘G18139’ has large single flowers. Comparison variety ‘Uribest52’ has relatively small flowers in comparison.4. New variety ‘G18139’ has longer peduncles. Comparison variety ‘Uribest52’ has shorter peduncles.5. New variety ‘G18139’ has grey-green foliage. Comparison variety ‘Uribest52’ has mid-green foliage.

