2024 is the year of the eclipse

Photos courtesy of Bailey

Eclipse® is the first true dark-leaf Hydrangea macrophylla on the market, adding even more excitement for this hydrangea category. And that’s not all! The leaves retain their dark color all summer long, even in warm climates, allowing this variety to stand out for growers and consumers.

The Eclipse^® story began in Georgia at Bailey Innovations^™, the breeding arm of Bailey Nurseries. In 2017, David Roberts, the Director of Plant Breeding, took seed from two parent plants and sowed the seed for the plant that would later become Eclipse^®. Roberts says he was “trying to create something the world had never seen,” and that’s exactly what happened. Two years after sowing the seed, Roberts and his team noticed the dark foliage continued to remain dark throughout the summer.

The following year, Eclipse^® was put into production trials at Bailey Innovations^® to determine how the plant would respond in a nursery setting. These trials gave the team a first-hand look at the input required to produce high quality plants on a mass scale. Eclipse® stood out in these trials with excellent resistance to mildew and Cercospora. Like other Hydrangea macrophylla, Eclipse® demonstrated the ability to thrive in production while being low maintenance.

Another test performed at Bailey Innovations^™ is the cutback trial. This trial involves cutting back the plants after they finish blooming to measure how they respond. In this trial, another characteristic of Eclipse^® was revealed. Roberts notes that “Eclipse^® maintained its dark foliage after a hard cutback and it continued to produce dark foliage, even during the hottest days of the summer.” When tested alongside other dark leaved varieties on the market, Eclipse^® was the only variety that produced dark new growth after being cut back.

Soon afterwards, the production trials were expanded to Bailey’s Minnesota facilities, where Eclipse^® continued to impress the Bailey team with its persistent dark leaves and reduced input. In addition to production trialing, Bailey sent plant samples to internal and external partners across North America to gauge its performance in the landscape. The results showed that Eclipse^® will thrive and consistently bloom in zone 5, providing color for consumers across the country.

After evaluating the various trials, Roberts and the Bailey team decided to bring Eclipse^® to the market in 2024, where it joins the First Editions® collection of shrubs and trees.

To get you started, a variety of liner options are available from Bailey and First Editions® licensed growers to fit your production schedule.

After the production cycle, retailers get to share the benefits of Eclipse^® with their customers. The dark foliage offers beautiful contrast to the cranberry or dark purple blooms on the shelves. Going a step further, Eclipse® will be a stunning addition to store displays, where the dark foliage can be paired with other shrubs, perennials, and annuals to highlight the bold leaf and floral color. Retailers can also highlight Eclipse® for growing in decorative containers, either on its own or mixed with seasonal plants.

In the landscape, Eclipse® has a rounded shape that can be paired with other plants to highlight the unique color combination. At 3-5 feet tall and wide, landscapers and consumers can use this shrub for mixed borders, small hedges, and in group plantings.

Eclipse® is setting the new standard for dark leaved hydrangeas. In the next year, growers and consumers will experience this unique addition to the Hydrangea macropylla category. For more information on Eclipse®, please visit baileynurseries.com/brands/first-editions.