July 2023 - 34

CULTURE REPORT
Photos courtesy of
Bailey Nurseries
Hydrangea
'Eclipse Bigleaf'
A macrophylla that maintains dark foliage and bright blooms all season.
BY MATT OLSON
T
he market for Hydrangea macrophylla continues
to grow with exciting innovations. 'Eclipse Bigleaf'
hydrangea is the first Hydrangea macrophylla
cultivar to retain its dark foliage all summer, even in warm
climates. Consumers and the trade will love the intense
dark foliage and vibrant blooms, especially in the heat
of summer.
The Eclipse story begins in Georgia, at Bailey
Innovations, the breeding arm of Bailey Nurseries. In
2017, David Roberts, director of plant breeding, took
two hybridized plants from Hydrangea macropylla and
planted the seeds to look for unique characteristics. After
observing dark foliage on the seedlings, Roberts and his
team continued evaluating the plants to observe their
characteristics. In summer of 2018, the seedlings began
to stand out as the foliage remained dark all summer.
Over the next couple years, the plants were shipped
to internal and external sites around the country for
production and landscape trialing. At Bailey Innovations
in Georgia, these trials involved comparing Eclipse with
similar dark-leaf varieties on the market. The results were
clear: Eclipse had the unique ability to maintain its dark
foliage, while the leaves of comparable varieties faded to
34
JULY 2023 GPNMAG.COM
green in summer. After further trialing and review, Bailey
decided to introduce Eclipse to First Editions Shrubs and
Trees, adding to the brand's lineup of cultivars.
Liners and finished plants will be available to growers
in spring of 2024, as Eclipse makes its first national
appearance to consumers.
In production, Eclipse is low maintenance and has great
disease resistance. In our production trials, Eclipse continued
to produce dark foliage after a hard cutback, ensuring the
plants live up to the standards of truly staying dark.
Retailers have the advantage of highlighting the rich
cranberry blooms that contrast beautifully against the dark
leaves. These features encourage impulse sales and extend
their shelf life.
Landscapers have the added benefit of mixing Eclipse
with other plants in the landscape to showcase the unique
contrast. At 3 to 5 feet tall and wide, Eclipse is right at home
in smaller landscapes, providing brilliant form, color, and
texture. Eclipse is a great fit in deco pots, where it can be
grown on its own or mixed with seasonal plants. This plant
does best in morning sun and afternoon shade. However,
it will thrive in more sun for northern regions if adequate
moisture is provided.

http://www.GPNMAG.COM

July 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of July 2023

Table of Contents
Editor’s Report | Perennial Possibilities
40 Under 40 Perspectives | Under Pressure?
CAST 2023 | Finding the Favorites at CAST 2023
Production | Is Your Greenhouse Really Clean?
Variety Information | What's New in Shurbs?
Marketing | Year of the Spirea
Culture Report | Hydrangea 'Eclipse Bigleaf'
Vaughn's View | Bountiful and Durable Recipe Combinations — Part 1
Product Marketplace
Classifieds/Ad Index
Chat Room
July 2023 - 1
July 2023 - 2
July 2023 - Table of Contents
July 2023 - Editor’s Report | Perennial Possibilities
July 2023 - 5
July 2023 - 40 Under 40 Perspectives | Under Pressure?
July 2023 - 7
July 2023 - 8
July 2023 - 9
July 2023 - CAST 2023 | Finding the Favorites at CAST 2023
July 2023 - 11
July 2023 - 12
July 2023 - 13
July 2023 - 14
July 2023 - 15
July 2023 - Production | Is Your Greenhouse Really Clean?
July 2023 - 17
July 2023 - 18
July 2023 - 19
July 2023 - 20
July 2023 - 21
July 2023 - Variety Information | What's New in Shurbs?
July 2023 - 23
July 2023 - 24
July 2023 - 25
July 2023 - Marketing | Year of the Spirea
July 2023 - 27
July 2023 - 28
July 2023 - 29
July 2023 - 30
July 2023 - 31
July 2023 - 32
July 2023 - 33
July 2023 - Culture Report | Hydrangea 'Eclipse Bigleaf'
July 2023 - 35
July 2023 - 36
July 2023 - 37
July 2023 - Vaughn's View | Bountiful and Durable Recipe Combinations — Part 1
July 2023 - 39
July 2023 - 40
July 2023 - 41
July 2023 - 42
July 2023 - 43
July 2023 - Product Marketplace
July 2023 - 45
July 2023 - 46
July 2023 - 47
July 2023 - 48
July 2023 - Classifieds/Ad Index
July 2023 - Chat Room
July 2023 - 51
July 2023 - 52
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https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-january-2023
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https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/gpn-new-varieties-digital-guide-2023
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https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-july-2022
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https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/may-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-april-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/april-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/march-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/february-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/cannabisguide-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/hempguide-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/newvarieties-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-january-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/january-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/december-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-november-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/november-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/october-2021
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https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/september-2021
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https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-july-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/july-2021
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https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/may-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/april-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-march-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/march-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/february-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/cannabisguide-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/hempguide-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/newvarieties-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-january-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/january-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/december-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-november-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/november-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/october-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-september-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/september-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/august-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-july-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/july-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/june-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/may-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/april-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/californiaspringtrials-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-march-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/march-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/february-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/cannabisguide-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/hempguide-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-january-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/january-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/december-2019
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https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/april-2019
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https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-march-2019
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