A New High-Yielding, Red Cut Flower Gerbera Cultivar with Strong Peduncle “Misty Red”

A new red gerbera (Gerbera hybrida Hort.) cultivar “Misty Red” was developed from a cross between “Ximena” and “Florense” followed by seedling and line selections at the Flower Breeding Research Institute, Gyeongnam Agricultural Research and Extention Services (ARES) in 2000. Characteristic trials were conducted three times from 2002 to 2003. Newly bred “Misty Red” have shown red colour (RHS, 44-B), semi-double type, and large flower. It also was in good harmony in ray floret color and flower center color with stable flower shape. The vase life was 10.2 days. The average yield of “Misty Red” was 49.6 flowers per plant a year in greenhouse yield trails carried out from 2002 to 2003. This cultivar was registered for a commercialization in 2004. “Misty Red” would be cultured under greenhouse condition in Korea.