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I got in 2002 from Arboretum Mustila a two year old R. brachycarpum ssp. tigerstedtii plant that turned out to be an open-pollinated descendant and not true species. After initial little disappointment the plant proved to be a very special one.
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It is likely that the mother plant R. brachycarpum ssp. tigerstedtii had been open-pollinated by a near-by 'Roseum Elegans'. Therefore I named the plant as "Roseum Mustila". Later it turned out that the name is not according to the rules of ICNCP. Therefore the hybrid got a new name: "Kristian's Pink".
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Growth habit is low, less than 1 m, compact and well branching. The plant is like a miniature version of 'Roseum Elegans', good for small gardens.
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"Kristian's Pink" flowers freely already as a young plant and does not seem to have interval years of weaker flowering.
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The flowers resemble flowers of 'Roseum Elegans' but with more rounded petals. The plant is both female and pollen sterile.
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Leaves are small, dark green with lighter colored center vein.
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New shoots are covered with white tomentum.
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Winter hardiness is probably very good as cold hardiness has usually been well transferred from ssp. tigerstedtii. So far "Kristian's Pink" has survived -26°C without any damage to leaves or flower buds.
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"Kristian's Pink" is impossible to propagate from cuttings but grafting has been successful.
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Field tests have been planned to get better knowledge on how "Kristian's Pink" thrives in different growing conditions in Finland. If this turns out successful the plant will be officially registered and propagated in larger volumes for cold climate gardens.
* Name is not registered.
