Over the last few years, I’ve been lucky enough to be among garden writers growing new Proven Winners plants a year before public introduction. It’s interesting to report on how particular plants perform in our climate, a real-world test by an everyday gardener.
So next spring, expect another fabulous new hydrangea introduction Invincibelle Spirit II. "It's a hardy, Zone 4 smooth hydrangea that produces deep, reddish-pink blooms. Already it's loaded with flowers and branching out. At maturity it should be 3 to 4 feet tall and wide. I'm impressed."
"Invincibelle Spirit II" thrives in well-drained locations with morning sun and afternoon shade. Blooming on new wood in summer, the plant has stiff stems, dark green foliage and flowers that age to soft green. A rebloomer, I expect it to push flowers into fall.
When it reaches the marketplace in 2016, $1 from every plant sold will be donated to the Breast Cancer Research Center.
Proven Winners describes hydrangeas as "misunderstood" landscape plants, but the solution is planting the right ones for our climate. We're USDA Zone 5a, but I hedge my bets with some Zone 3-4 selections.