PUFFER FISH® Hydrangea is a Winner

Make your landscape designs fun. PUFFER FISH® Hydrangea paniculata is like a BOBO® Hydrangea, but on steroids. Like Bobo, every inch of the plant is covered in billowy white blooms, but the plant is larger and the flower heads are much larger. It's so lovable, you will be compelled to hug it. Even as the white flowers age to green, new flowers continue emerge at the tip. A bit like a fish statue spitting water into a fountain. Never floppy, the strong stems hold up the big blooms in the container and in the garden.

Three gallon container of Puffer Fish hydrangea

In our Trial Garden

Note the size of the blooms

This is the Hydrangea paniculata you want if you're looking for white 

Note how the flowers keep emerging at the apex of the panicle

The flowers age green w/o any pink

See Puffer Fish and other new Proven Winners plants in this

Six Shrubs With Fantastic Fall Foliage

I would have thought, off the top of my head, that were are lot of shrub species that had fantastic fall color, but when I drove our trial fields searching, I was dismayed that only a limited number of species really stood out with bright autumn hues. Of course everyone thinks of burning bush as the quintessential fall color shrub, but there has to be more. What else is there to use? 

With a bit of thought I came up with a list of six outstanding shrubs that can add fantastic fall color to your landscape. They're in no particular order, but they're all excellent plants that are worthy of a place in your yard, nursery or landscape design. Each has its own unique hue of fall foliage color from blends of bright orange to bold purplish-reds. And unlike Euonymus alatus, they're all North American natives.        

   

1. LEGEND OF THE FALL®  Fothergilla

Fothergilla has always been appreciated for its spectacular autumn color, but Legend of the Fall® fothergilla sets a new standard for the species with brilliant, glowing hues of orange, yellow, and red. Spring brings a crop of fragrant white flowers. This plant was also selected for its improved production performance, a boon since this plant will surely be in high demand by landscapers and garden designers. 

USDA Zone 5 - 9 (-20°F/-28.9°C)

Exposure: Full sun, part sun

Height: 4 - 5'

Width: 4 - 5'

Bloom Time: Spring

Flower Color: White

2. LOW SCAPE MOUND®  Aronia melanocarpa

As cute as a button yet tough as nails, Low Scape Mound® aronia is an innovative dwarf selection that may be the closest thing yet to a perfect landscape plant. Adaptable to most any soil, this versatile little black chokeberry offers dark glossy foliage, loads of white flowers in spring, black summer fruit, and intense red foliage in autumn. Ideal for low maintenance mass plantings; think of it as Rhus 'Gro Lo' with multi-season appeal. Developed by Dr. Mark Brand of the University of Connecticut. Low Scape Mound aronia is the 2019 Landscape Shrub of the Year. Winner of the Boskoop Royal Horticultural Society Silver Medal

USDA Zone 3 - 9 (-40°F/-40°C)

Exposure: Full sun, Part sun

Height: 1 - 2'

Width: 2'

Bloom Time: Spring

Flower Color: White

3. KODIAK ORANGE®  Diervilla

Another eco-friendly alternative to burning bush, Kodiak® Orange diervilla pushes fall color to the limits with its transformation to fire embers orange. In the spring and summer new growth emerges a showy russet-orange which is accompanied by bright yellow flowers in summer. But late summer and fall are the real show when the entire shrub turns bright citrus orange. This easy growing, vigorous North American native is unbothered by pests or diseases. Diervilla is one of the most adaptable landscape plants you can grow. You" find it growing in dry shade on the shores of Lake Superior, south on the red clay soils of Georgia. Sometimes known as bush honeysuckle, which is just pain stupid as well as a misnomer, so just call it diervilla as the common name. Developed by Garden Genetics, Kodiak Orange won the Boskoop Royal Horticultural Society Silver Medal.  

USDA Zone 4 - 7 (-30°F/-34°C)

Exposure: Full sun, Part sun, Shade

Height: 3 - 4'

Width: 3 - 4'

Bloom Time: Summer

Flower Color: Yellow

Foliage Color: Orange

4. SCENTLANDIA®  Itea virginica 

Fabulously fragrant. Sweetspire is beloved for so many reasons: it’s native, shade tolerant, deer resistant, has handsome foliage, amazing fall color, very showy flowers, and of course, delicious fragrance. So how could Scentlandia® sweetspire improve on the classic? Better hardiness, and better fragrance. It has the best fragrance of any Itea I've ever encountered.  Year after year you'll get great fall color, along with a compact, refined habit. Winner of the Boskoop Royal Horticultural Society Silver Medal. I named it in honor of one of my favorite TV shows. 

USDA Zone 5 - 9 (-20°F/-28.9°C)

Exposure: Full sun, Part sun, Shade

Height: 2 - 3'

Width: 2 - 3'

Bloom Time: Early summer

Flower Color: White

Foliage Color: Green

5. SKY DEW GOLD®  Vaccinium corymbosum

Bright yellow foliage is the back drop for tasty summer blueberries. Things get even more interesting as the summer nights start to cool and the golden foliage start taking on rich hues of orange and red. The transformation is simply thrilling; seeing something so colorful and cheerful puts a smile on my face.    

USDA Zone 4 - 8 (-30°F/-34.4°C)

Exposure: Full sun

Height: 2 - 4'

Width; 3 - 4'

Bloom Time: Late spring

Flower Color: White

Foliage Color Chartreuse, Orange

6. GATSBY PINK®  Hydrangea quercifolia

Just as The Great Gatsby is a classic of American literature, H. quercifolia is a classic North American native hydrangea. Long prized by savvy gardeners for it’s flowers and fall color, this  sophisticated shrub deserves a wider market. Gatsby Pink is a remarkable oakleaf selection from Powell Gardens of Kingsville, MO. It boasts big showy lacecap blooms that quickly transform from pure white to a delightful pink.The dark green foliage turns mahogany-red in autumn. It also reblooms a bit as well.  

USDA Zone 5 - 9 (-20°F/-28.9°C)

Exposure: Full sun, Part sun

Height: 6 - 8'

Width: 6 - 8'

Bloom Time: Summer

Flower Color: White, Pink

Foliage: Color Green, burgundy 

7. STAGHORN SUMAC Rhus typhyna 

Ok so I cheated and added a seventh shrub, but it is so worth it. Rhus typhina, the Staghorn sumac, is one of my favorite native shrubs because it is one of the first to change color. The plant has fuzzy stems (like a stag’s horn), great orange to deep red fall color and attractive red seed heads. I learned this plant as a young boy when my dad taught me how to make staghorn lemonade with its fruit - look it up. It’s commonly found along highways forming dense clumps. At 70 mph, it's easy to see that each clump differs genetically in size, fall color, and fruit. Unfortunately, as it is a suckering plant that moves around a bit, most gardeners don’t have the room for a clump in their garden. Still it does deserve greater use. There are several excellent cultivars that are garden worthy; ‘Disecta’ aka ‘Laciniata’ is grown for its attractive lacy cut leaves. Tiger Eyes or ‘Bailtiger’, is a yellow leafed selection of ‘Disecta’. This plant has all the wonderful attributes of the species but with bright yellow leaves that gives summer-long interest.

Plants that Impress

It's the last day of January and there is over a foot of snow on the ground here in Michigan, but spring is almost here. I say this because we turned on the heat in our greenhouses today. We are waking up our plants, so we can start propagating. 

Last year, I didn't post all that much and I'm going to blame it on Covid. The pandemic had such a strong impact on the nursery business and we've been incredibly busy trying to keep up with the demand for plants. My Delta account is full of cancelled tickets, because I did not go to Italy, Germany, Korea or the Netherlands as I had planned. On the positive side I did spend more time in our trial garden, R&D greenhouse and breeding fields evaluating plants. Today I want share with you some of the plants that impressed me the most. Hopefully you'll see something you like, and the spring and summer photos will warm you up until spring arrives for real. Enjoy.

Let's Dance Sky View™ reblooming hydrangea

With each passing year the genetics on our reblooming Hydrangea macrophylla keep getting better and better. Let's Dance Sky View hydrangea is one of the best yet. When we trial reblooming hydrangeas we cut our plants back hard in that fall and once again in the spring. We do this to simulate untimely frosts. We also trial them multiple years outdoors to make sure they'll bloom reliably in our harsh Michigan climate. If they bloom here, the should bloom anywhere. As you can see from the photographs below, Let's Dance Sky View excelled in both our trials, blooming nicely after being cut back as a container or having been frozen back in our field. When treated with aluminum sulfate or grown in acid garden soil, the flowers are an attractive sky blue color.  

Plants on the left were cut in fall and the plants on the right were cut back again in spring

Let's Dance Sky View hydrangeas flowered well after freezing back to the ground in 2020 and 2021.

'Viva Polonia' and Happy Jack® Purple Clematis 

So many consumers are disappointed by clematis and it's not their fault. We set out to change that.  You many not know it, but most clematis varieties on the market are selected for their flower size and how they perform for the grower, while we select ours based on garden performance. 'Viva Polonia' and Happy Jack Purple offer the very best in terms of garden performance. Here you can see how they looked in our trial garden last summer. Simply amazing! 

'Viva Polonia' clematis in our test garden 

Unique reddish-pink, star-like flowers on 'Viva Polonia' clematis

Happy Jack Purple is always looking happy and healthy

Happy Jack Purple climbing on a Quick Fire hydrangea 

Puffer Fish™ Hydrangea paniculata

Puffer Fish™ hydrangea is a new selection developed at North Carolina State University that will be at retail in a year or so.  Think of it as a super-sized Bobo hydrangea. Just like Bobo, it has full, lacy blooms from top to bottom, but the blooms are much bigger. The flowers open pure white and remain white until they transition in fall to a light green. It's also quite distinct in that new flowers continue to produce at the tip of the panicle, making it looks as if the puffer fish flowers are spitting a bit of water. Puffer Fish has been a standout in all our trials.   

Puffer Fish hydrangea in our trail garden
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At full bloom it's hard to see the foliage on Puffer Fish

An easy to identify bloom, Puffer Fish blooms spit a bit of water

Wine & Spirits™ Weigela

We evaluate a lot of Weigela breeding each year and one of plants that shinned was Wine & Spirits™ weigela, a new variety developed by Megan Mathey. What I love about this selection is its fresh greenish-white flowers. I've never seen this color before and it just makes the flowers almost glow against the backdrop of its dark foliage. Growers and retailers will appreciate how well it looks in a container in the spring, and gardeners and landscapers will love how it looks in the landscape. Its unique flower color and overall flower power made it a standout in all of our trials. 

The greenish-white flowers of Wine & Spirits weigela appear to glow 

A standout Weigela in our container trials

With lots of flower power, it lights up a garden even more than Wine & Roses.

Mr. Mustard™ Sorbaria

When we trial a new variety, we compare it to similar plants on the market, and if it's not better we pass on the plant. Mr. Mustard™ Sorbaria sorbifolia was clearly brighter and more compact than 'Sem' and the others. The plant is at its best in spring when it is flushing, showing off its feathered hues of red and yellow. While other selections burn or get ragged by mid-summer, Mr. Mustard Sorbaria passes inspection with its clean green foliage and cherry-red fruit. Be aware this species sends out runners in loamy soils and should only be planted in areas where it is contained. Plant in a isolated bed, or keep it contained by growing it in a decorative container. It's plenty hardy and will overwinter just fine. Its white, conical, summer blooms look a bit like Astilbe and are wonderful for attracting pollinators. This is a tough, hardy plant that performs wonderfully when in the right location.

Mr. Mustard is a colorful container plant 

At its best in spring, Mr. Mustard is colorful and compact

In the summer the foliage turns to green, as opposed to brown like 'Sem'

Sting™ Thuja occidentalis 

I am partial to columnar plants, so it is no wonder that Sting arborvitae captured my heart and imagination. This seedling selection of 'DeGroot Spire' that I sowed out some 15-18 years ago has remained exceedingly slim and attractive. Hardy and heat tolerant, use it as an exclamation point, or go all in and plant it in rows down each side of a road, like the Italians do with their narrow Mediterranean cypress, Cupressus sempervirens. Sting Thuja is a fun tree that is only limited by your imagination.       

Make a statement with Sting arborvitae, the super narrow Thuja occidentalis 

Sting arborvitae in our test garden

That's all for now. Join me soon when we'll take a look at some new and exciting plants specifically for the South. Until then, stay warm. 

Hydrangea Heroes

The year 1823 was a significant year in annals of horticulture. A young, adventurous, German physician set foot on the man-made island of Dejima, a trading post for the Dutch East India Company, just off the coast of Nagasaki, Japan. Fresh out of medical school at age twenty-seven, Phillip Franz von Siebold, was looking for a bit of adventure and the Dutch East Indian Company offered him that opportunity as resident physician and scientist in Japan. He was to be the successor to Engelbert Kaempfer and Carl Peter Thunberg, two former resident physicians at Dejima, both also famous plantsman you may recognized from the specific epitaphs on a number Japanese plant species including Larix kaempferi and Berberis thunbergii.  

Herbarium specimen of wild H. paniculata

Essentially closed to all other Western scientists, Siebold excelled as a physician and botanist, while in Japan. His unique abilities as a cataract surgeon (along with his knowledge of and supply of belladonna used for dilating the pupil) gave him a freedom of travel afforded to few foreigners in this isolated country. Between his personal acquisitions and the gifts paid to him in kind for his doctoring and teaching, Siebold amassed over 1000 native Japanese plants in his back yard garden. In amongst these plants was Hydrangea paniculata (wild type) and Hydrangea paniculata ‘Grandiflora’ (aka PEE GEE hydrangea), both of which he sent Europe and are still today common landscape plants.

PEE GEE ~ Hydrangea paniculata 'Grandiflora' 

In my twenty-some years as a plant hunter, I’ve had some pretty unique opportunities. One of these was visiting the late Jelena DeBelder in the summer of 1996. We met at Hemelrijk, her family estate near Antwerp, Belgium. As she shuttled us about the grounds in her beat up VW Rabbit, filled with pots, shovels and plants, I soon realized I was in the presence of someone special. Her every word was filled with passion.  With the pride of a mother she introduced us to her hydrangeas: ‘Pink Diamond’, ‘Unique’, The Swan, ‘Burgundy Lace’, ‘White Moth’ and her personal favorite ‘Little Lamb’. “This is a very special plant,” she told us, “Little lambs dancing about in joy. Very special.”  

Jelena DeBelder schooling me on hydrangeas

Soon after I met the renowned plantsman Pieter Zwijnenburg. At the time, Pieter and his wife Anja had a small nursery in Boskoop area of the Netherlands. The “Heronswood of Europe” his nursery offered over 2500 different varieties of trees and shrubs. In his career Pieter has introduced over 50 different new plants. On this particular day he showed us his newest development, a new Hydrangea that would soon be named ‘Limelight’. And just down the road a few miles, on another day, Rein and Mark Bulk showed me their new, early flowering hydrangea that had volunteered in his nursery. In a few years, we’d introduce this one as Quick Fire® Hydrangea. 

Pieter and his wife Anja

Still later and to the south, we and the world came to know Dr. Johan Van Huylenbroeck of the Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture. Johan’s outstanding Hydrangea paniculata breeding would give us Mega Mindy®, Pinky Winky® and Bobo®.  

Dr. Johan Van Huylenbroeck with the original Bobo®

Meanwhile in France, Jean Renault was also breeding Hydrangea paniculata which would yield Vanilla Fraise®, aka Vanilla Strawberry™.  

Jean Renault

And back home in Grand Haven, Michigan, while standing on the shoulders of all these giants, I had a hand in the development and introduction of a few good hydrangea paniculata plants as well: Little Lime®, Little Quick Fire®, Pillow Talk®, Fire Light® and Zinfin Doll®.

Zinfin Doll® in our stock block

Next year we'll introduce three, exciting new selections. Fire Light Tidbit™ is front of the border, dwarf, 2-2.5’ mounded selection with creamy white flowers that take on strawberry pink hues as the summer progresses towards fall.    

Fire Light Tidbit™

Fire Light Tidbit™ 

QuickFire Fab hydrangea is in a class of its own when it comes to color. The delicate, cruciform flowers emerge green, transition to white and then start turning raspberry pink from the bottom up producing a unique two-toned look.

Quick Fire Fab™

Early blooming Quick Fire Fab™ hydrangea

And now, even ‘Limelight’ has gotten better. Limelight Prime™ has stronger stems that eliminate bloom flopping. It has dark, forest green foliage, unlike ‘Limelight that is prone to yellowing with chlorosis. And Limelight Prime™ has predictable autumn flower color. 

Limelight Prime™ Hydrangea

Autumn hues of Limelight Prime® hydrangea

Me oh my, how this once unassuming Japanese hydrangea, introduced over one hundred and fifty-seven years ago, has changed and improved. We now have cultivars with stronger stems that do not flop. We have dwarf selections and early blooming selections. We have green flowers and flowers that age with hues that range from green to bubblegum pink to rich pomegranate red. We have big flowers and small flowers, full flowers and lacy flowers.

It has been over a one hundred and fifty-seven years since Pee Gee hydrangea was introduced by Dr. von Siebold. Plant breeding and selection continues to improve our plants, generation after generation and we should all be proud of the role we play in this evolution. Sure I know, it’s disruptive, but all change is. And yes, along the journey there have been some plants that should not have be introduced. No one is perfect. Not all of Apple’s product launches have been a success. Remember the Newton? In fact, most all of their product introductions are no longer sold! Does this mean that Apple should slow down or stop innovating? Of course not. We are living in the Golden Age of technology. We are also living in the Golden Age of plant breeding. Buckle up and enjoy it! It going to get even better.    

Russian Hardy

I recently had the opportunity to speak to the Russian Nursery Stock Association at their annual conference in Moscow. This is the second time I have spoken at this conference and the attendees were once again eager to learn about new flowering shrubs that are hardy enough for Russian winters. 

The winters in Moscow are very cold and similar to what we experience in Michigan. It has a continental climate so they get plenty of snow and have unpredictable spring weather. Of all of the plants that I spoke about at the conference, the Invincibelle® line of Hydrangea arborescens drew the most attention. In Russian they have the same issues with Hydrangea macrophylla that we have, losing their flower buds and failing to flower. So having a broad line of winter hardy, reliable blooming hydrangeas was good news to the Russians (as it is for most of us in the US and Canada). 

This last year Proven Winners introduced three new hydrangeas in the Invincibelle® line bringing the total to five unique shrubs with an expanded color range of mauve, green, white, pink and red. The series offers a number of dwarf sized plant sizes starting at two and a half feet tall and a few plants that reach four to five feet in height. Add to that three additional varieties of Hydrangea arborescens, the Incrediball® series and Lime Rickey®, and you have eight hardy hydrangeas that can easily handle the worst Moscow winter. If you live in a climate where Hydrangea macrophylla flowering can be hit or miss, this is welcome news. If you own a garden center and you are tired of dealing with customers complaining about their hydrangeas not flowering, this is great news. Here is a synopsis of the hydrangeas I shared with our Russian cohorts at the APPM conference.

Invincibelle Limetta®

One of my favorites, Invincibelle Limetta® hydrangea has a unique short stature with iridescent green flowers from head-to-toe. It was a standout in our test field garnering attention from everyone including Rosie our nursery dog. It glowed in our trial garden where we planted it as a low border hedge, showing off its design value in the landscape. In full sun, particularly in the South, the flowers will transition to white before aging to dark green.    

Rosie knows how to pick out the best plants

Invincibelle Limetta® as a low border hedge in our trail garden

Excellent flower coverage makes this plant a standout!

Invincibelle Mini Mauvette®

There is a lot to like about Invincibelle Mini Mauvette® hydrangea. The mauve colored flowers are a major breakthrough. The color varies depending upon the age of the bloom. In bud the flowers open a rich purple and lighten as the flowers mature. Eventually, the flowers age to a blue-green dusted with shades of purple and red. The leaves and stems have a very strong substance to them, keeping the plant neat and tidy throughout the summer. Its dwarf, compact habit make it a good companion with Invincibelle® Limetta, Ruby and Wee White.

Invincibelle Mini Mauvette® unique flower color

Strong stem strength makes Invincibelle Mini Mauvette® an excellent garden plant

Blooms age to a blend of green, purple and red

Invincibelle® Ruby

Dr. Tom Ranney knew he had a winner when it first saw Invincibelle® Ruby in bloom in his breeding field. This dwarf, compact selection brings us another color breakthrough in Hydrangea arborescens. Dark burgundy-red buds expand in mid-summer and mature to a rich reddish-pink. The undersides of the petals remain dark while upper side lightens to pink giving the blooms a two-toned contrast. Eventually the flowers lighten to pink and change to green. Invincibelle® Ruby hydrangea has been a standout plant in our test field and our trial gardens. 

Dr. Tom Ranney admiring the original Invincibelle® Ruby 

The unique flower color is a first.

Invincibelle® Ruby in our trail garden in Michigan.

Invincibelle® Spirit II

Even though Invincibelle® Spirit was a breakthrough plant, being the first ever pink Annabelle-type hydrangea, it did have its problems. It did not look good in a container at retail and it took a few years in the garden to build up a body. Invincibelle® Spirit II has solved these issues and gives us even richer flower color. The foliage is also darker and more substantial and the blooms age to a pleasing, rich green. This is a big, bold plant that makes a statement in the garden. It has been a performer in our test field and in our trial garden. And like the original, which it replaces, $1.00 per plant sold supports breast cancer research.   

Version 2.0 has stronger stems and richer flower color.

Invincibelle® Spirit II - a standout plant in our test field.

Improved flower color with version 2.0.

The aged, green blooms are are another improvment.

Invincibelle Wee White®

Normally, white flowered shrubs don't get people all that excited, but Invincibelle Wee White® breaks all the rules. The smallest of all the plants in the series, this little beauty is a button of blooms. The flowers start out a soft green then change to white, occasionally showing a whisper of pink just to make things interesting. Year after year, this plant shined in our test field and drew lots of attention in our trial garden. Based on our trials and initial sales, you're going to be seeing a lot of this plant in landscapes near you.    

Blooms all the way to the ground.

The smallest of all the Invincibelle® selections.

Invincibelle Wee White® flowers will at times show a touch of pink and green.

Incrediball®

While Incrediball® hydrangea is not a new plant, it is new in Russia. Again, despite being white, this plant has defied all sales expectations. The numbers just keep going up and up, year after year. I think that consumers are just getting to know this plant. Skeptical at first, people that have grown Incrediball® hydrangea have come to be true believers. As an example, two years ago I gave a talk at the International Hydrangea Conference on Cape Cod. During the conference there was a thunderstorm. Afterwards, when we visited the garden, a bed containing both Annabelle and Incrediball made everyone at the conference believers, including Dr. Michael Dirr. The Incrediball® hydrangea was unfazed, while Annabelle, planted right next to it, was a twisted wreck.    

Incrediball® continues to grow in popularity. 

An Incrediball® flowering hedge in our trial garden.

Incrediball® Blush

For some people, the bigger the better. And just like Incrediball®, Incrediball® Blush has really big flower blooms. This is a fulled sized plant with large, silver-pink flowers held high on super strong stems. As you can see below, Incrediball® Blush was a stand out plant in our test field. Even after a number of rain storms these plants looked great. The flower buds open a rich pink and then take on its silver-lavender-pink coloration as the blooms mature.  

Incrediball® Blush a standout plant in our test field.

Big silver-pink blooms on super strong stems.

Lime Rickey®

This plant was a late save. Initially we did not put it in the Proven Winners program because we knew we had a green flowered hydrangea coming with Invincibelle Limetta®. But after watching it year after year in our trial garden we had a change of heart. This plant is definitely Proven Winners worthy. It shines like a beacon in the garden, drawing your eye and your admiration. The contrast between the bright lime-green flowers and dark green leaves adds to it uniqueness and charm.  It stands up to rain storms never missing a beat. The flower heads are not supper big, but that's OK, it just adds to its grace and beauty.  

Lime Rickey® looking good in our trial garden.

A range of green colors delight the eye.

Lime Rickey® hydrangea blooms contrasting with dark green leaves.

I had some extra time after the conference in Moscow, so I took a high speed train to Saint Petersburg for some sight seeing. It's a beautiful city filled with fascinating history and awesome architecture. The people were friendly, the food was tasty and I always felt safe. If you ever have the opportunity to go there, I highly recommend it. Here are a few of the sights I saw. Perhaps they might tempt you into taking the trip. Until next time.

Bronze statue of Peter I

                                                                         Kazan Cathedral

Pushkin Catherine Summer Palace

That's me in front of Church of the Savior on Blood

The Hermitage Museum - former Winter Palace