SMNHPPINKA

Hydrangea

Variety Description

Varieties used for comparison: 'Limelight' and 'SMNHPRZEP'

Summary: The plants of 'SMNHPPINKA' are shorter than the plants of 'Limelight'. The leaf blade of 'SMNHPPINKA' is narrower than the leaf blade of 'SMNHPRZEP'. The diameter of the calyx of the sterile flower of ''SMNHPPINKA'' is smaller than the calyx of 'SMNHPRZEP'. The overlapping of the sepals of the sterile flower is weak to medium for 'SMNHPPINKA' whereas the overlapping of the sepals is absent or very weak for 'SMNHPRZEP'. When fully open, the inner side of the sepal of the sterile flower of 'SMNHPPINKA' is white, whereas the sepal of the sterile flower of the reference varieties is light yellow with light green tones. When aged, the inner side of the sepal of the sterile flower of 'SMNHPPINKA' is light blue pink with white and changes to purple red with grey tones whereas the sepal of the sterile flower of 'Limelight' is white and grey.

Description:

PLANT: non-climbing type, semi-upright growth habit
STEM: no fasciation, brown (greyish), black lenticels

LEAF BLADE: no lobing, elliptic shape, medium length of tip, obtuse base, shallow to medium depth of incisions of margin, no variegation, medium green on upper side, medium degree of glossiness of upper side, weak blistering

FLOWERING: begins mid-season
INFLORESCENCE: conical shape, inconspicuous or slightly conspicuous fertile flowers
STERILE FLOWER: single type, weak to medium degree of overlapping of sepals, incisions of margin absent on all sepals
SEPAL OF STERILE FLOWER (INNER SIDE): yellow green (RHS 4C) when newly open, white (RHS 155C to RHS NN155C) when fully open, light blue pink (RHS 62B-C) with white (RHS 155C) and changing to purple red (RHS 59D) with tones of grey (RHS 157A) when aged, no secondary colour.
FERTILE FLOWER PETAL: white on inner side

Origin & Breeding History: 'SMNHPPINKA' was bred and developed by the breeder, Timothy D. Wood, an employee of Spring Meadow Nursery, Inc., in Grand Haven, Michigan, USA. It originated from an open pollinated cross that occurred in July 2004, in Grand Haven, Michigan, between the Hydrangea paniculata variety 'Little Lamb', as the female parent, and pollen from an unknown male parent. 'SMNHPPINKA' was selected in July 2009, for its strong stems, prolific blooming, and flower colour. Asexual reproduction of 'SMNHPPINKA' was first conducted using softwood to semi-hardwood cuttings, in June 2010, in Grand Haven, Michigan, USA.

Tests & Trials: The comparative trial for 'SMNHPPINKA' was conducted in an outdoor irrigated container trial, during the spring and summer of 2016, at Bioflora Inc., in St. Thomas, Ontario. The trial included a total of 10 plants of the candidate variety and 8 plants of the reference variety. All plants were grown from rooted cuttings and transplanted into 13.2 litre containers on July 13, 2015. The observations and measurements were taken from 10 plants or parts of plants, of each variety, on July 30, 2016. The late (aged) flower color was recorded on August 15, 2016. All colour determinations were made using the 2007 Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Colour Chart.

Comparison tables for 'SMNHPPINKA' with reference varieties 'Limelight' and 'SMNHPRZEP'

Plant height including inflorescence (cm)

Leaf blade width (cm)

Diameter of sterile flower calyx (cm)

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

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Hydrangea: 'SMNHPPINKA' (left) with reference variety 'Limelight' (right)

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Hydrangea: 'SMNHPPINKA' (left) with reference variety 'Limelight' (right)

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Hydrangea: 'SMNHPPINKA' (left) with reference variety 'Limelight' (right)