Melia 'Lady Gwenda'

Melia azedarach 'Lady Gwenda'

ORIGIN : Melia 'Lady Gwenda' arose in cultivation in Western Sydney. It is an form of Melia azedarach. It is named after the wife of the applicant. Registration applied for by Mark Hartley of Shanes Park, NSW. The cultivar was first received in February 1993.

DESCRIPTION: This cultivar differs in its variegated foliage. All other features of the cultivar are as for M. azedarach.

DIAGNOSIS: The main feature of this cultivar is the variegation on most leaves and the yellow striation on the fruits. The variegation is irregular, with some leaflets almost totally yellow while others are the usual green.

COLOUR CODE: RHS Colour Chart 1966

fully variegated leaflets: Yellow Group 8C

merging colours: Yellow Green Group 146B

"normal" green leaflets: Yellow Green 147A

CULTIVATION NOTES: The cultivar is hardy to frost, primarily because of its deciduous nature. In areas of severe frost, newer growth on branchlets is killed, thus inducing lower laterals to shoot. This makes the form of the tree lower and more spreading when grown in colder climates. It is moderately hardy to drought. It is a useful species for providing summer shade, with the added advantage of being deciduous in winter. The fruits are attractive to birds. The cultivar must be propagated by vegetative means to preserve the cultivar form.

ACRA REFERENCES: ACC544/761; ACRA402; CBG9302681.

ACCEPTED FOR REGISTRATION ON: 11 October 1993