Dirr revisits remontant hydrangeas: A noted plant expert looks at the evolution of hydrangeas over the last 10 years

摘要

On Sept. 11, 1998, in Bailey Nurseries' St. Paul, Minn., new plant test facility, I spied a mophead H. macrophylla with fully expressed blue flowers, developing flower buds and withered, brown inflorescences. My Georgia program was attempting to breedH. macrophylla that would flower on new growth, like a petunia, thus ensuring some measure of pink and blue orbs, regardless of fall, spring freezes and midwinter lows. The goal was regrowth in spring. The Bailey H. macrophylla was discovered in a St. Paul garden and was trialed for more than 10 years. Bailey shared its cuttings. Jeff Adkins, as part of his University of Georgia master's degree, tested them under inductive and non-inductive environmental conditions. The bottom line was this clone flowered regardless. Here's the rest of the story.