Oh, not sure we needed that. A panicle that is confusing to identify as such in pictures and that will resemble other mopheads except for the late blooming. Hopefully the blooms will weigh less than comparable panicle blooms and perhaps that might minimize stem flopping by the end of the growing season?

I am uncertain if growers of panicles for use in vase arrangements will prefer these smaller round blooms over the usually larger panicle blooms. What do you think?

It has similar dimensions to Zinfin Doll, Little Lime and Little Quick Fire. It seems not to be early flowering like QF. Have you seen pictures showing the shade of pink aging coloration?

Hey @luis_pr, at this point I dont think I have seen pics or videos of the colour progression through the season.

While technically a 2026 introduction, Baily Nursery introduced this year a replacement for Blushing Bride called DreamCloud, a reblooming hydrangea with " brighter, longer-lasting white mophead blooms that stay clean and rebloom well into fall, DreamCloud® delivers sophistication, resilience, and reliable performance. Not to mention its resistance to foliar diseases including Cercospora making it a fantastic low maintenance choice." It will be part of the Endless Summer Collection although the online websites have not been updated. Available in limited/very low numbers since this fall in some selected local plant nurseries in the northern areas and also in a few spots in Canada.

https://www.baileynurseries.com/new-varieties/

https://www.pridescorner.com/plant-name/HYDRANGEA-M--ESDREAMCLOUD-

Also, Proven Winners has these scheduled per their website: Gatsby Glow Ball oakleaf hydrangea Incrediball Storm Proof smooth hydrangea (in limited 2025 release this fall), Wee Bit Innocent mophead hydrangea (has pastel colors), your already mentioned Powerball panicle hydrangea, and Fairytrail Fresco cascade hydrangea (pH sensitive, produces blooms in shades of blue and pink).

From Monrovia, Centennial Ruby mophead hydrangea (has rich ruby-red blooms that deepen further as the flowers age), Li'l Annie oakleaf hydrangea (compact, resists flopping).

https://www.monrovia.com/centennial-ruby-hydrangea-46940.html

Others: Grin N Tonic (may already for sale in low numbers in some places; mophead that starts lime green, slowly turns white so it temporarily looks bi-color and then turns green as it ages.

Excellent post @luis_pr.

(I have one "Storm Proof" and one "Wee Bit Innocent" planted in the garden 🤞)

I haven't seen anything in the new offerings that gets me excited. I didn't buy a single hydrangea in 2025 and probably won't in 2026.

I am really not sure what more I really need from a hydrangea.

I'd like to see a pink hydrangea arborescens I like. All the ones on the market are either floppy, color fades too fast or randomly die off (Mini Mauvette). I've pulled them all from my yard over the years.

@pennlake, what about Invincibelle Spirt II for your pink hydrangea? @FrozeBudd_z3/4 has lots of experience with it and has spoken of it very positively this past season.

And the release of the 2026 catalogues have begun. This one is from a Canadian company with a significant online order division.

82 different varieties of hydrangeas:

https://www.phoenixperennials.com/pre-order/the-hydrangea-hysteria-pre-order/

I've tried all the pink arborescens on the market and they either died (Mini Mauvette) or I just didn't like them. The good pink color is too fleeting and the flowers just go blah. Invincibelle Ruby is probably the best in my opinion, but I pulled it last year to make room for new stuff. The whites have a much nicer flower color aging all the way to frost.

I had the original Invincible Spirit when it first came out, years back.....yucky it was.

@pennlake, maybe take a look at arborescens Candybelle® Winegum:

https://plantipp.eu/uk/varieties/hydrangea-arborescens-candybelle-winegum-grhyar2008pbr

'Candybelle® Winegum' looks is a bit interesting, I may bite. ' Invinciibelle Ruby' I have in an east facing position, color is a very catching red that holds for a good while in my moderate summer temperatures, next year will give it a hard pruning that it produces fewer but larger blooms. The original 'Invincibelle Spirit' was a genuine disaster, thankfully had seen a few plantings that totally swayed me away from purchasing it, the improved version has been an excellent performer here and keeps throwing new blooms to frost.

I may bite

Do it! Do it!

The photos of the Candybelles on the Concept plants website (they represent the plants in NA) don’t impress. The first 3 originated from crosses with Annabelle and you can see the long internodes and floppy, light foliage. Winegum came later but, again, the photos don’t impress. I’ll wait and see if they get any traction over here.

Here's a screenshot of 'Candybelle Bubblegum' from a youtube video, not the most crisp of photos, but looks decent in flower and foliage, does appear to fade right out on older blooms, not a problem if remaining attractive, again only time will tell how it does for me.