These methods ensure scalable, sustainable production while maintaining the plants' signature growth habits:
Northern Bayberry: Known for its adaptability and resilience, this shrub benefits from streamlined propagation techniques that improve accessibility for growers and landscapers.This native shrub is highly sought after for suburban landscaping in colder climates especially where salt can be an issue, but is difficult to propagate clonally. Our research developed a tissue culture micropropagation method to clonally produce the sought after female form of the plant that produces showy fruits that support songbirds. Previously, consumers had to purchase seed grown plants that were half female plants and half male plants.
Black Chokeberry Cultivars: With their low-growing forms, 'Ground Hug®' and 'Low Scape Mound®' offer versatile groundcover options, made more widely available thanks to efficient propagation methods.
Chokeberries, native to the northeastern United States, are valued as tough shrubs that can tolerate various environmental stresses, including drought, poor soils, exposed locations, and cold winters, and their status as native North American plants enhances their desirability for many consumers.
'UCONNAM012' and 'UCONNAM165' are propagated easily by softwood cuttings collected from mid-June to mid-July. Rooting percentages of > 90% and profuse root systems can be expected. Peatmoss:perlite (50:50, vol:vol) or similar propagation media and intermittent mist work well to root cuttings. Cuttings can be double-wounded and treated with 3000 ppm indole-3-butyric acid. Rooted cuttings can be potted and fertilized to produce new growth, and they overwinter well without losses.
Micropropagation can also be used to propagate 'UCONNAM012' and 'UCONNAM165' clonally Shoot multiplication in vitro can be achieved using Murashige and Skoog medium and vitamins
Stay Classy® Purpleleaf Sandcherry: This compact cultivar showcases stunning purple foliage, and advanced propagation ensures uniformity and ease of production to meet growing demand.
Plants of 'UCONNPCSDR' have the capacity to grow well in a range of conditions but perform best in well-drained soils and with full sun exposure or light shade. 'UCONNPCSDR' tolerates a wide range of temperatures and can be cultivated in USDA Hardiness Zones 2 to 8.. It is expected that 'UCONNPCSDR' will do best in regions receiving fewer than 50 summer days with temperatures exceeding 30 °C.
The propagation techniques described emphasize efficiency and consistency, enabling large-scale production of these ornamental plants with desirable growth habits.
Dr. Brant is Professor of Horticulture and Plant Breeding, in the Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture at the University of Connecticut.
His research program focuses on breeding ornamental woody shrubs, particularly compact forms of native species like bayberry and aronia, to suit modern landscapes. It also emphasizes developing tissue culture propagation systems to rapidly produce plants for evaluation and market distribution. This approach ensures efficient propagation and quicker market introduction of new plant varieties.
The three articles can be found on the HortScience electronic journal website at: https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI17625-23 ( Stem Cutting, Propagation and Micropropagation of Northern Bayberry)
https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI17663-23 ('UCONNAM012' (Ground Hug®) and 'UCONNAM165' (Low Scape Mound®)
https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI18248-24 ('UCONNPCSDR' (Stay Classy®): A Compact Purpleleaf Sandcherry)
