SMHPLQF

Hydrangea

Variety Description

Variety used for comparison: 'Bulk' (Quick Fire)

Summary: The plants of 'SMHPLQF' are shorter than the plants of 'Bulk'. The time of flowering begins early for 'SMHPLQF' whereas the time of flowering begins very early for 'Bulk'. The calyx of the sterile flower of 'SMHPLQF' is smaller in diameter than the calyx of 'Bulk'. When newly open, the inner side of the sepal of the sterile flower of 'SMHPLQF' is yellow green whereas the sepal of 'Bulk' is light yellow. When fully open, the inner side of the sepal of the sterile flower of 'SMHPLQF' is white with yellow green tones on younger sterile flowers whereas the sepal of 'Bulk' is white. When aged, the inner side of the sepal of the sterile flower of 'SMHPLQF' is white with blotches of purple red whereas the sepal of 'Bulk' is white with blotches of purple red to blue pink.

Description:

PLANT: non-climbing type, upright growth habit
STEM: no fasciation, purplish red, white lenticels

LEAF BLADE: no lobing, elliptic shape, short tip, obtuse base, very shallow incisions of margin, no variegation, medium green on upper side, absent or weak glossiness of upper side, weak degree of blistering

FLOWERING: begins early
INFLORESCENCE: conical shape, moderately to very conspicuous fertile flowers
STERILE FLOWER: single type, weak degree of overlapping of sepals, no incisions of margin on all sepals
STERILE FLOWER SEPAL: when flower is newly open main colour of inner side is yellow green (RHS 154C-D), when flower is fully open main colour of inner side is white (RHS 155A) with yellow green (lighter than RHS 1D) tones on younger flower sepals, when flower is aged main colour of inner side is white (closest to RHS 155B) with purple red (RHS N57A-C) blotches
FERTILE FLOWER: inner side of petal is white

Origin & Breeding History: 'SMHPLQF' was bred and developed by the breeder, Timothy D. Wood, of Spring Meadow Nursery, Inc. in Grand Haven, Michigan, USA. It originated from an open pollinated cross conducted in the spring of 2004, in Grand Haven, between the variety 'Bulk', as the female parent, and an unknown male parent. 'SMHPLQF' was selected in the spring of 2009 for its dwarf and compact plant growth habit, strong and upright stems, early flowering time and dark pink-red flower colour in autumn. Asexual propagation of 'SMHPLQF' by softwood cuttings was first conducted in the spring of 2009, in Grand Haven, Michigan, USA.

Tests & Trials: The comparative trial of 'SMHPLQF' was conducted as an outdoor irrigated container trial during the summer of 2015 at BioFlora Inc., in St. Thomas, Ontario. It included a total of 10 shrubs of the candidate variety and 8 shrubs of the reference variety. All shrubs were grown from rooted cuttings that were each transplanted into a 13.2 litre container on June 19, 2013. The observations and measurements were taken from 10 shrubs, or parts of shrubs, of the candidate variety on July 16, 2015, and from 8 shrubs, or 10 parts of shrubs, of the reference variety on July 8, 2015. All colour determinations were made using the 2007 Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Colour Chart.

Comparison tables for 'SMHPLQF' with reference variety 'Bulk'

Plant height (cm)

Diameter of calyx of sterile flower (cm)

Colour of inner side of sepal of sterile flower (RHS)

Click on image for larger view

Hydrangea: 'SMHPLQF' (left) with the reference variety 'Bulk' (right)

Click on image for larger view

Hydrangea: 'SMHPLQF' (left) with the reference variety 'Bulk' (right)

Click on image for larger view

Hydrangea: 'SMHPLQF' (left) with the reference variety 'Bulk' (right)