plant named ‘Balpetawhi’

Latin name of genus and species of plant claimed:

Variety denomination: ‘Balpetawhi’.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofplant botanically known asand hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Balpetawhi’.

The new cultivar originated in a controlled breeding program in Hem, the Netherlands during the summer of 2018. The objective of the breeding program was the development ofcultivars with attractive flower coloration and a spreading growth habit.

The newcultivar is the result of cross-pollination. The female (seed) parent of the new cultivar is‘May Breeze’, not patented, characterized by its white flowers, dark, green-colored foliage, and vigorous, spreading growth habit. The male (pollen) parent of the new cultivar is a proprietaryssp.breeding selection coded PHLP 494, not patented, characterized by its white flower, medium, green-colored foliage and vigorous, upright habit. The new cultivar was selected as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the above cross-pollination during May 2020 in a controlled environment in Hem, the Netherlands.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal stem cuttings since May 2020 in Hem, the Netherlands and West Chicago, Illinois has demonstrated that the new cultivar reproduces true to type with all the characteristics, as herein described, firmly fixed and retained through successive generations of such asexual propagation.

The following characteristics of the new cultivar have been repeatedly observed and can be used to distinguish ‘Balpetawhi’ as a new and distinct cultivar ofplant:

Plants of the new cultivar differ from plants of the female parent by having lighter green colored foliage. Plants of the new cultivar differ from plants of the male parent by having a more upright growth habit.

Of the many commercially availablecultivars, the most similar in comparison to the new cultivar is‘Fuller's White’, not patented. However, in side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new cultivar differ from plants of ‘Fuller's White’ in at least the following characteristics:

The new cultivar has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that the phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in the environment, such as temperature, light intensity, and day length, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The chart used in the identification of colors described herein is The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England, 2019 reprint of the 2015 edition, except where general color terms of ordinary significance are used. The color values were determined in March 2025 under natural light conditions in Naperville, Illinois.

The following descriptions and measurements describe approximately eight-month-old plants produced from cuttings from stock plants and grown under conditions comparable to those used in commercial practice. Rooted cuttings were transplanted in 3-quart containers and grown in a poly-covered greenhouse in Elburn, Illinois. Plants were given one pinch three weeks after transplant, and one pinch nine weeks after transplant. Greenhouse temperatures were maintained at approximately 42° F. to 47° F. (5.6° C. to 8.3° C.) during the day and approximately 37° F. to 42° F. (2.8° C. to 5.0° C.) during the night. No supplemental lighting was provided. Measurements and numerical values represent averages of typical plants.