Cercis canadensis 'Covey' Redbud 'Lavender Twist' PP 10,328

I'm thinking of adding this tree to the landscape this coming spring. It's quite pricey for a decent sized specimen. All the information in the http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/53336/ is positive. There is, as usual, conflicting information on the net as to growth rate and ultimate size. In my neck of zone 5 the hardy cultivars of C. canadensis are short lived trees that go into early declne for reasons not understood. Anybody have the real scoop on this tree? Care and culture?

Michael Dirr gives this information: "Weeping form, contorted stem with shoots arching to produce an umbrella-shaped crown; original +30-year-old plant is 5' high and 8.25' wide with a 5" trunk diameter; the original plant was purchased as a seedling in a pot about 1965 on a return trip from Florida to New York; grown in the garden of Connie Covey, Westfield, NY; propagated and patented by Tim Brotzman, Madison, Ohio, Zone 5 to 7."

So, sounds like it's been a proven good cultivar. If you can find it, check out 'Appalachain Red', which is actually more of a neon pink.

Here's a photo of 'Covey'. (Is 'Lavender Twist' another name for the same?)

I think Lavender Twist is the trademark name and 'Covey' is the real cultivar name.

Here's the word from the "horse's mouth". Tim is a great guy, and will tell you anything you want to know about his plants. Being a fellow northern Ohioan may even rate you some special treatment...

http://www.brotzmansnursery.com/cc_covey.htm

That's very, very kind of you VV. I'm appreciative. I'm planning on heading to Gee Farms this early spring to select one. You don't find anything much taller than 2' locally.

HG I see that Gee Farms has 'Appalachian' Multi Stem ' - $500 and 1-1/4 caliper $175. Holy Cow!

BTW HG - the Cedrus deodara 'Eisregen' still shows no sign of any winter injury. I believe that top dieback is the most common symptom of cold strees for this species so it's still a wait and see.

Isn't a cultivar renamed when the original patent expires to extend the patent? Or am I misinformed?

This message was edited Feb 22, 2009 7:05 PM

I don't know all the intricacies of patent law, but it is not unusual for a patented plant to have a simple or nonsense "cultivar" or clonal name for the patent purpose, and then also wear a much more marketing-savvy trademark or registered name.

Cercis canadensis 'Covey' might sell one or two to bird lovers or former Vice-Presidents, but Lavender Twist® Redbud moves off the garden center lots a bit more swiftly.

I'd be amazed if any patented plant retained any rights beyond the 27 years (I think? Or is it 17 years...) for the original patent owner, but I suppose anything is possible.

That explanation makes the most sense. I've seen a lot of hydrangeas with two names. I think Hydrangea petiolaris 'Pinky Winky' follows that same premise. I don't know if it's a clonal name but the original name is 'D.V.P. Pinky'. That doesn't exactly roll off the tounge. I know nothing of plant patent law except that the end consumer can't reproduce, divide or share a patented cultivar. Those prohibitions are not widely followed I suspect.

Patents expire after a period of time--I'm not positive what the timeframe is for plant patents but it's somewhere in the range that VV mentioned. Once the patent expires then anybody can propagate and sell that cultivar, using the "real" cultivar name. But if the grower has done a good job convincing people that their tradename is the name of the plant and that's how gardeners know it, then they in effect prolong the usefulness of their patent since even though anybody who wants to can sell the cultivar at that point, nobody except the trademark holder can sell it under the trademarked name.

And some of the real cultivar names are really stupid...at least 'Covey' has some real meaning behind it and wouldn't be all that hard to remember on its own. Monrovia is great at the stupid cultivar names...they start all of them with "Mon" like Chilopsis 'Monhews', Loropetalum 'Monraz', and Mandevilla 'Monrey' as a couple of examples. Needless to say, people will be much more likely to remember the trademark names Timeless Beauty, Razzleberri, and Tango Twirl!

Just a fun one that I have come across: Ginkgo biloba 'fabulous underwear'. Honest.

Now that's a name that would definitly be remembered by the consumer! It's hilarious! Do you have it?

No I don't have it. It's a cultivar that was on a Dutch website. It was too ri$ky to try to have it shipped here.

I found C. canadensis 'Appalachian' in the PlantFiles and avaialble for 1/10 of what Gee Farms wanted in a comparable size.

U of Michigan chose a tree to plant as a specimen two years ago, and lo and behold it
was the Cercis covey. In fact, I have the sister tree to the one they bought and
planted. I love my tree.

It wasn't that expensive. The dear thing is about 5' tall, and quite contorted you know.
I think we might have paid perhaps less than a hundred dollars for her.

she is in the place of honor in front of my greenhouse and near my waterfall pond.
Its quite a wonderful tree.
Good luck
sheri

Thank you WP - I'm looking forward to early spring shopping at the garden centers. It's a priority purchase to get one with good form.