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Follow on Google News | New Breakthrough Hydrangeas Drastically Improve Famous ‘Annabelle’ HydrangeaDiscover Two New Amazing Hydrangea from Proven Winners® ColorChoice® This Spring
By: Ryan McGrath The best known and most widely grown of the native, Hydrangea arborescens, the ‘Annabelle’ Though wildly popular and attractive in gardens north and south, ‘Annabelle’ Now thanks to plant breeding breakthroughs by Proven Winners ColorChoice (www.colorchoiceplants.com) Invincibelle® “For years, hydrangea-lovers have demanded improvements to the Annabelle’s stem strength and color selection,” said Tim Wood, product development and marketing manager for Proven Winners ColorChoice. “With Invincibelle Spirit Hydrangea and Incrediball Hydrangea, we have taken the best and most-popular qualities of the ‘Annabelle’ The First-Ever Pink Annabelle Hydrangea™ Invincibelle Spirit Hydrangea is very first pink-flowered form of the ‘Annabelle’ Following numerous generations and backcrosses, Ranney selected one outstanding plant from over 1,500 variations that had the desirable form, foliage, and exceptional pink color in its flowers. This single plant became the ancestor of all Invincibelle Spirit Hydrangeas today. Building upon its ‘Annabelle’ A Modern Marvel of Plant Breeding “Dr. Ranney has discovered what should be seen as a modern marvel of plant breeding,” said Wood. “All preceding cultivars of smoothleaf hydrangeas were exclusively white in color. The flowers of Invincibelle Spirit offer pink color for the first time in an ‘Annabelle’ Invincibelle Spirit continues to produce new pink flowers right up until frost, providing a beautiful display across several seasons in your garden, from mid-summer to fall. Because its flower buds are produced on new wood, the hydrangea will still produce flowers – even if the stems are damaged by extreme weather or cold. The blooms remain pink all season, regardless of the soil’s acid levels. Million Dollars for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation A fund-raising campaign associated with the Invincibelle Spirit Hydrangea is perhaps as unique as the plant itself in the horticulture industry. For every Invincibelle Spirit plant sold, $1.00 will be sent to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation as part of the national Invincibelle® “This plant is a million dollar idea in more ways than one,” said Wood. “Our goal is to raise $1 million for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation through the Invincibelle Spirit Campaign. We believe this campaign is much bigger than just selling hydrangeas. It is an opportunity for our industry and the plant-buying public to get involved with a noble cause, make a difference and become part of a movement. For example, we are working with garden centers across the country to put on ‘Pink Days’ to raise money for Breast Cancer Research above and beyond the $1 donated for every plant sold.” For more information about the Invincibelle Spirit Campaign, visit http://invincibellespirit.net. The “Annabelle on Steroids” With Four Times the Flowers Another new hydrangea breakthrough, Incrediball Hydrangea has the biggest flowers and the strongest stems of any of the ‘Annabelle’ “As expected, we developed an Annabelle type with very strong stems,” said Wood. “What came as a surprise was the hydrangea also having incredibly larger flower heads, with white blooms bigger than a basketball. When we counted the individual flowers, we found the selection had four times as many individual flowers as Annabelle. Even with the additional flowers, the mature hydrangea will not tip over like the original Annabelle, even after a summer thunderstorm. The Incrediball is like an ‘Annabelle on steroids’ – but with even larger flowers.” The explosive blooms of Incrediball open to a very pale shade of green and mature to a pure white. Incrediball (cultivar name: Hydrangea arborescens 'Abetwo' ppaf, cbraf) begins blooming in mid-summer and continues to bloom all season, even into the autumn months. The plant is hardy in USDA Zones 3-9, thriving in sun to part shade, and in many types of soil conditions. Heat tolerant, it can be planted in the southern U.S. It also flowers on new wood, producing flowers even after the harsh winters in the northern U.S. and Canada. Largely trouble-free, it has few natural pests or diseases. “Because it’s as easy to grow as ‘Annabelle,’ To purchase Invincibelle Spirit Hydrangea and Incrediball Hydrangea, look for the Proven Winners white pot at better gardening centers this spring. Or visit www.provenwinners.com to locate a retailer near you. # # # Spring Meadow Nursery, Inc. is a market leader in flowering shrubs, potted liners and starter plants, and the developer behind Proven Winners ColorChoice branded shrubs. Located in Grand Haven, Mich., the wholesale nursery has specialized in flowering shrubs for over 25 years. Spring Meadow Nursery has over 500 varieties in their catalog, which include more than 100 varieties marketed under the Proven Winners® ColorChoice® End
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