Large violet-blue flowers ageing to deep blue and with a redder bar. Anthers deep red-purple. Christian Steven was the founder and first director of the State Nikitsky Botanic Garden, Crimea. Professor Beskaravainaja named this cultivar in 1975 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of his birth.

Group:	Late large-flowered group
Approximate height:	2.5 - 3.0 metres
Flowering period(s):	Jul Aug Sep
Aspect:	Any aspect
USDA zones:	3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Pruning:	Hard prune (Group 3)
Raised by:	M A Beskaravainaja
Country of origin:	USSR/Ukraine
Date raised:	r1969 f1973 ni1975
Parentage:	'Gipsy Queen'  x  'Lawsoniana'
Other name(s):	'Khristian Steven'
Further detail:  Flower diameter: (10-) 12-16cm Tepals: (5-) 6, 5.5cm long, 7cm wide, broadly elliptic, pointed, overlapping, wavy margins Leaves: usually pinnate Database entry: 121
People:  Click the name(s) for information about:
	M A Beskaravainaja