Hydrangea Mega Mindy
Hydrangea Mega Mindy® has a sturdy and well-developing shrub shape, with upright branches that do not fall over under the weight of the inflorescence. The height of the shrub varies around 1.25m to 1.75m. From the end of July to the beginning of August, it provides a special summer bloom in the garden or park. Typical of this plant are the large flower cones. These flower cones are white at first, but turn a strong pink-red in late summer and autumn. Even in the middle of winter, the rhymed cone-shaped silhouettes of the dead inflorescences provide an atmospheric garden scene.
Plant height up to 175cm.
General info
The Hydrangea Mega Mindy® is a panicle hydrangea or, with the scientific name, a Hydrangea paniculata .
The plant was first noticed in the ILVO test fields in 2003 in a seedling population among approximately 4000 brothers and sisters. This population had already been sown three years earlier. It was mainly the strong pink-red discolouration of the inflorescence that attracted attention in late summer. In the following years, the plant was vegetatively propagated via cuttings and further assessed for its qualities: growth strength, healthy leaves, abundance of flowers, flowering duration, autumn colouring, etc.
At the end of 2007, Bestselect decided that the plant met all the requirements and the market introduction was planned for autumn 2009. While the plant had been just 'a number' on the test site for all those years, it was given its real name on 10 September 2009.
In fact, the plant was born almost ten years ago and is now a decade old. This illustrates how much time and effort it takes to develop a new cultivar.
At the launch of the Hydrangea Mega Mindy, a collaboration was also entered into with KOESTER, the Children's Oncology Unit for Specific Home Care and Rehabilitation, abbreviated to project ' KOESTER ' of the vzw Kinderkankerfonds . The project 'KOESTER' aims to offer nursing, social and psychological help to families of children with cancer. Bestselect, supported by Mega Mindy of Studio100, hereby undertakes to donate a fixed contribution per plant sold to 'KOESTER'. Every year, Bestselect also hands over its contribution to 'KOESTER'
Maintenance
Panicle hydrangeas are plants that have few demands on soil and location. They thrive in both the sun and a slightly shadier spot. They also easily survive severe frost temperatures in the winter. Just like all other panicle hydrangeas, Hydrangea Mega Mindy® blooms on the newly formed shoots. It can therefore be cut back considerably in the spring (March-April). The plant then forms new strong branches, which end in large inflorescences. Without pruning, the plant will also bloom profusely, but the inflorescences may be smaller.
