Plant Patent #10,371. Cultivar name: 'Frau Nobuko'. The Halo™ series of Hydrangeas introduces an entirely new look to this colorful shrub. Compact enough for containers, the Halos™ offer picotee blooms of either pink or blue, held in very large clusters on strong stems that won't flop in garden or vase. Quite cold hardy, they are very heavy bloomers, offering nonstop flowers from late spring well into summer. Brought to us from Europe (where they were marketed as the Frau™ series) but originally bred in Japan in the 1990's by Hiroshi Ebihara, this series arose from crosses of H. 'Crystal Halo' x H. 'Silver Edge'. They are wonderfully dependable, hardworking, and a pleasure in any setting. To see another Halos™, click here for Angel Eyes.
Angel Smile™ is one of the most beautiful Halos™, offering subtle serration on every petal edge, plus a wide, gleaming picotee and merry ruffling. The satiny texture of these deep pink or blue blooms gives them a gloss that other Hydrangeas lack, and makes them eye-catching even from far away. 7 to 8 inches in diameter, these mophead blooms arise from late spring through midsummer, held erect on strong peduncles that refuse to flop, even in the heat and humidity of summer. At 3 to 5 feet high and wide, this shrub commands attention in the foundation planting or shrub border, but is also compact enough for large containers.
Give Angel Smile™ partial shade and well-worked, enriched soil for best growth and flowering. A stunning addition to any landscape, it was introduced in 1994 and has never been bettered! Zones 6-9.
