Botanical classification:Weigelahybrid.

Variety denomination: ‘JS4’.

CROSS REFERENCE TO A RELATED APPLICATION

This application is related to a European plant breeders' rights application filed on Mar. 23, 2020, application No. 2020/0837. There have been no offers for sale anywhere in the world prior to the effective filing date of this Application and no accessibility to one of ordinary skill in the art could have been derived from the printed plant breeder's rights documents.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofWeigelaof hybrid origin and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name, ‘JS4’. ‘JS4’ represents a new cultivar ofWeigela, a deciduous shrub grown for landscape use.

The new Invention arose from an ongoing controlled breeding program in Hazerswoude-Dorp, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to develop hybrid cultivars ofWeigelawith unique and superior garden attributes. In particular, to develop cultivars that are more compact, rich-flowering and remontant-flowering.

The Inventor made a controlled cross in June of 2015 in Hazerswoude-Dorp, The Netherlands betweenWeigelacultivars ‘JS2’ (not patented) as the female parent and ‘Red Prince’ as the male parent (not patented). ‘JS4’ was selected in June of 2018 as a single unique plant amongst the resulting seedlings.

Asexual propagation of the new cultivar was first accomplished by softwood stem cuttings by the Inventor in June of 2018 in Hazerswoude-Dorp, The Netherlands. Asexual propagation by softwood stem cuttings has determined that the characteristics of the new cultivar are stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the characteristics of the new cultivar. These attributes in combination distinguish ‘JS4’ as a unique cultivar ofWeigela.1. ‘JS4’ exhibits an upright plant habit.2. ‘JS4’ exhibits a medium-sized plant.3. ‘JS4’ exhibits leaves that are green in color.4. ‘JS4’ exhibits flowers that are deep pink in color.5. ‘JS4’ exhibits a continuous blooming period from spring into fall.

The female parent of ‘JS4’ differs from ‘JS4’ in having a lower growing plant habit, an irregular plant shape, and flowers that are pale pink in color. The male parent of ‘JS4’ differs from ‘JS4’ in having flowers that are red in color and in not continuously blooming from spring into fall. ‘JS4’ can be most closely compared to theWeigelacultivars ‘Carnaval’ (not patented) and ‘Abel Carrière’ (not patented). ‘Carnaval’ is similar to ‘JS4’ in plant shape. ‘Carnaval’ differs from ‘JS4’ in having larger flowers that are lighter pink in color, and in not continuously bloom from spring into fall. ‘Abel Carrière’ is similar to ‘JS4’ in foliage color and shape. ‘Abel Carrière’ differs from ‘JS4’ in having flowers that are purple-pink in color, a more broadly spreading plant habit, and in blooming less continuously from spring into fall.

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR

The Applicant asserts that no publications or advertisements relating to sales, offers for sale, or public distribution occurred more than one year prior to the effective filing date of this application. Any information about the claimed plant would have been obtained from a direct or indirect disclosure from the Inventor. The Applicant claims a prior art exemption under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(1) for disclosure and/or sales prior to the filing date but less than one year prior to the effective filing date. Disclosures include but may not be limited to website or facebook postings by van vilet New Plants, allsummer and Bert Verhoef Boomkwekerij.

