Dharuma, the Japanese ancestor of many Dutch cultivars.

Unique thanks to a combination of qualities
We all possess a particular combination of qualities that sets us apart from others. Sometimes in a very positive sense, sometimes less so! And it’s no different for the Hydrangea paniculata. One seedling will bloom abundantly, another won’t. One had sturdy branches that do not bend even if the flowers are heavy with water, another has weaker stems. And just as with people, it helps if Hydrangeas have nice parents: if you come from a long line of athletes, you’re very likely to have inherited sporty genes from your parents.

Finding new varieties in Japan
In the late 1980s – my goodness, that sounds like a long time ago – I flew to Japan to try to find new Hydrangea varieties. I went to the areas where the plants grow in the wild, but I also visited many Japanese nurseries. This was way before the days of the internet. Many of the nurseries were highly specialised but very small, and hardly any of the growers spoke English – let alone Dutch. Going to Japan and visiting them was the only way to find out if new plants were being grown in Japan that might be interesting for Dutch conditions.

From Dharuma to Pink Diamond
One of the plants I ended up bringing back to the Netherlands was the Hydrangea paniculata ‘Dharuma’. The Dharuma featured several unique properties: somewhat flattened flower heads that bloom in the early summer; and remarkably short and sturdy branches with a wine-red glow. We did not grow paniculate Hydrangeas at our nursery at the time, so I gave the Dharuma to a colleague. He had an inspired idea. He crossed it with a Hydrangea paniculata ‘Pink Diamond’, harvested the seeds and selected the best offspring from the seed bed. The early flowering and sturdy branches of the Dharuma, combined with the rich display of the Pink Diamond, proved to be a big hit. In 1995, the new variety was named Early Sensation. Once this new plant was propagated from cuttings, we had a new cultivar.

That breeding trick has been repeated by many growers. And no wonder: the Dharuma’s properties are appealing and can be combined with many other paniculate Hydrangeas – as long as its sturdy branches, compact growth and other good qualities were maintained. (That compactness was a big advantage in smaller gardens.) Breeding is simply a matter of crossing and selecting – plus skilful lab work.

Our cultivar Living Infinity Hydrangea is a wonderful example. This Hydrangea derived a lot of excellent properties from the Dharuma, including early and abundant flowering, leathery leaves and burgundy branches. The deep red colour can also be seen in the flowers. The Living Infinity blooms from early summer to autumn, giving it an extremely long flowering season. The variety has enormous ornamental value thanks to this combination of qualities. Find out more about the Hydrangea pan. Living Infinity.