Bailmer

Hydrangea

Variety Description

Variety used for comparison: 'All Summer Beauty'

Summary: 'Bailmer' is shorter in plant height than 'All Summer Beauty'. The leaf of 'Bailmer' is smaller than 'All Summer Beauty'.

Description:

'Bailmer' is an hydrangea variety with an upright growth habit. It is hardy to zones 4 through 9. The medium green coloured leaf has no variegation, glossiness or lobing, is elliptic in shape with an acuminate apex and mostly acute shaped base. The leaf blade margin is serrate with medium depth incisions.

The inflorescence of 'Bailmer' is globular in shape with flowers present that have a small calyx. The large calyx has 3 to 5 sepals that moderately overlap and are violet (RHS 75B) in colour when fully opened. The sepal margins are absent of any incisions. 'Bailmer' flowers very early in the season on new plant growth without requiring a vernalization period.

Origin & Breeding History: 'Bailmer' was discovered in a cultivated garden in St. Paul. Minnesota in the summer of 1983. It was selected based on its ability to bloom dependably in a zone 4 climate, its deep green foliage and its freedom from foliar disease. In 1988 it was put in trials in St. Paul, Minnesota and Athens, Georgia to identify its unique characteristics. It was observed in trials over ten years and showed an ability to initiate blooms on new growth without a chilling requirement.

Tests & Trials: Test and Trials were conducted outdoors during the summer of 2004 in St. Thomas, Ontario. The trial included 10 shrubs of each of the candidate and reference varieties, grown in one gallon plastic containers in April 2004. Trials were arranged in rows with spacing of 1 meter between containers.

Comparison tables for 'Bailmer' with reference variety 'All Summer Beauty'

Plant height (cm)

Leaf length (cm)

Leaf width (cm)