Patent Publication Number: US-PP16204-P2

Title: Hydrangea plant named ‘801’

Description:
Botanical designation:  Hydrangea hybrida.    
   Cultivar denomination: ‘801’. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of  Hydrangea  plant, botanically known as  Hydrangea hybrida , and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name 801. 
   The new  Hydrangea  is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands and Glandorf, Germany. The objective of the breeding program was to create new stronger-growing  Hydrangeas  with attractive flower bract coloration and no vernalization requirement. 
   The new  Hydrangea  originated from a cross-pollination conducted in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands on Jul. 20, 1999 of a proprietary selection of  Hydrangea hybrida  identified as code number 98056, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of  Hydrangea hybrida  identified as code number 98028, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The cultivar 801 was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Glandorf, Germany on Mar. 14, 2001. 
   Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by vegetative cuttings at Glandorf, Germany, since Mar. 15, 2003, has shown that the unique features of this new  Hydrangea  are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Plants of the cultivar 801 have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype. 
   The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘801’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘801’ as a new and distinct cultivar:
         1. Upright and mounded plant habit.   2. Strong stems.   3. Large durable leaves.   4. Large inflorescences.   5. Inflorescences with white-colored flowers.       

   Plants of the new  Hydrangea  differ from plants of female parent selection primarily in branch thickness as plants of the new  Hydrangea  have thicker lateral branches than plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new  Hydrangea  differ from plants of male parent selection primarily in flower size as plants of the new  Hydrangea  have smaller flowers than plants of the male parent selection. 
   Plants of the new  Hydrangea  can be compared to plants of the cultivar Schneeball, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Glandorf, Germany, plants of the new  Hydrangea  differed from plants of the cultivar Schneeball in the following characteristics:
         1. Plants of the new  Hydrangea  were larger and grew faster than plants of the cultivar Schneeball.   2. Plants of the new  Hydrangea  had stronger lateral branches than plants of the cultivar Schneeball.   3. Plants of the new  Hydrangea  had larger leaves with longer petioles than plants of the cultivar Schneeball.   4. Plants of the new  Hydrangea  had larger inflorescences but smaller flowers than plants of the cultivar Schneeball.   5. Plants of the new  Hydrangea  were more freely flowering than plants of the cultivar Schneeball.   6. Plants of the new  Hydrangea  had straight sepal margins whereas plants of the cultivar Schneeball had undulate sepal margins.       

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH 
     The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the unique appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new  Hydrangea . The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical plant ‘801’ grown in a container. 
   

   DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION 
   In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants used in the aforementioned photograph and in the following description were grown in Glandorf, Germany, in 15-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse and under conditions which closely approximate commercial production conditions. During the production of the plants, day and night temperatures were about 17° C. Plants were about one year old when the photograph and description were taken. The photograph and description were taken during the late winter/early spring.
     Botanical classification:  Hydrangea hybrida  cultivar 801.   Parentage:
             Male, or pollen, parent.— Proprietary  Hydrangea hybrida  selection identified as code number 98056, not patented.     Female, or seed, parent.— Proprietary  Hydrangea hybrida  selection identified as code number 98208, not patented.       
       Propagation:
             Type cutting.— By vegetative cuttings.     Time to initiate roots, summer.— About 14 days at 23° C.     Time to initiate roots, winter.— About 18 days at 18° C.     Time to produce a rooted cutting or liner, summer.— About four weeks at 23° C.     Time to produce a rooted cutting or liner, winter.— About five weeks at 18° C.     Root description.— Thick; white to brown in color.     Rooting habit.— Freely branching; dense.       
       Plant description:
             Form/growth habit.— Upright and mounded plant habit. Strong lateral branches; vigorous growth habit.     Plant height, soil level to top of plant plane.— About 30 to 40 cm.     Plant diameter or area of spread.— About 50 cm.     Branching habit.— When pinched, freely branching with about five lateral branches per plant.     Lateral branches.— Length: About 25 to 35 cm. Diameter: About 7 mm. Internode length: About 4 cm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Strength: Very strong. Color: Close to 146A.     Foliage description.— Leaves large, simple, opposite and durable. Length: About 13 cm. Width: About 10 cm. Shape: Elliptic to ovate. Apex: Acute. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Dentate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth to rugose; glabrous. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing and fully expanded foliage, upper surface: Close to 147A. Developing and fully expanded foliage, lower surface: Close to 147B. Venation, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 146A. Petiole: Length: About 6 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 146A.       
       Flower description: No pH sensitivity affecting flower color has been observed in this plant.
             Flower type and habit.— Single flat flowers arranged on terminal panicles; panicles large and globular. Flowers face upright to outward. Flowers persistent. Flowers not fragrant.     Natural flowering season.— Intermittent flowering during the summer in Northern Europe.     Flower longevity.— Flowers last about three months on the plant.     Quantity of flowers.— Freely flowering; about 90 to 100 per panicle.     Panicle diameter.— About 21 cm.     Panicle height.— About 11 cm.     Flower diameter.— About 4.5 cm.     Flower depth  ( height ).—About 5 mm.     Flower buds.— Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Color: 145B to 145C.     Petals.— Arrangement: Five in a single whorl. Length: About 4 mm. Width: About 2 mm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening, upper and lower surfaces: 145D. Fully opened, upper and lower surfaces: 155B.     Sepals.— Quantity per flower: Four, fused into a calyx. Length: About 2 cm. Width: About 2 cm. Shape: Deltoid to orbicular. Apex: Retuse. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening, upper and lower surfaces: 150D. Fully opened, upper and lower surfaces: 155B.     Pedicels.— Angle: Erect to about 45° from vertical. Strength: Strong. Length: About 1 to 3 cm. Diameter: About 2 to 7 mm. Color: 155B.     Reproductive organs.— Stamens: Quantity per flower: About three. Anther shape: Conical. Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther color: 155B. Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen color: Close to 155D. Pistils: Pistil quantity per flower: About eight. Pistil length: About 3 to 4 mm. Stigma shape: Oval. Stigma color: Close to 155B. Style length: About 2 to 3 mm. Style color: 155B. Ovary color: 155B. Seed: Length: About 1 mm. Diameter: About 0.2 mm. Color: Brownish.       
       Disease/pest resistance: Under commercial production conditions, plants of the new  Hydrangea  have not been observed to be resistant to pathogens or pests common to  Hydrangea.      Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new  Hydrangea  have been shown to be tolerant to temperatures ranging from about 3 to about 38° C.