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Forever & Ever Double Pink vs. Shamrock - same thing?

15 years ago

I am loving my recently acquired Forever & Ever Double Pink hydrangea. I put it in a pot a week ago, and it has been growing very well, with lots of new foliage and even new buds! With its very delicate flowers and appearance, I never expected it to be so vigorous, but it is!!! :-)

Here's a photo of it:

Now, I just took a look at Shamrock, which is supposedly a much larger plant, but then aren't the flowers so extremely similar to F&E Double Pink? This is its photo from the Colorchoice shrubs site:

I notice that they are both Japanese hydrangeas. Could they be the same thing, with F&E Double Pink being a dwarf version of Shamrock? Now, F&E Double Pink is supposed to be remontant. I have no idea if Shamrock is remontant or not, but it does not say so on the website.

So, what do you think?

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Comments (5)

ego45
15 years ago
Here is my Shamrock.

Honestly, I'm completely disappointed by this plant's growth habit. Also, being overwintered in a pot it has only handfull of blooms on it.
Miyama yae Murasaki has a very similar looking flowers, but it's now literaly covered by blooms beside being a nice tight compact shrub. In-ground, not in a pot.
Shamrock is my first candidate for the door.
ostrich
Original Author
15 years ago
George, in what ways is the growth habit not good? Also, do you think that it only has a handful of blooms on it due to the fact that it did not go completely dormant in teh garage? I think that might be one of my overwintered container plants' issues.
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Hi Fremar - I just today responded to a ? asked by someone from z7b to compare F&E to ES etc. I got 2 F&E in '06 - to add to observations (1st year does not count, since we now, all know the doses of hormones, to force blooms, for sale purposes) 2nd yr only produced 2 blossoms (ES as well) ... I was a bit disappointed (but was educated on a season needed for root development, in the new home, in the ground along w/ some sun as factors. The 3rd was a charm, a banner year indeed - worth the wait!!! ;) I did have to move one F&E to a partial/sun last Fall, to get those 8"x10" blossoms this June! Patience & TLC as Luis suggested - you'll perhaps not have to wait as long as I did (I'll use cottonseed meal in Spring '09). Best of luck!
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razorback33
15 years ago
Shamrock also looks very much like Jogasaki.

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Jogasaki'

Rb
echinaceamaniac
15 years ago
I like the Forever and Ever one better. It has a prettier pink color. The other one has a blue tone to it. It's a personal preference though.

I will say this...That Forever & Ever Pink Double is one healthy plant! Mine is planted in the yard on the east side of the house and growing like crazy!
ego45
15 years ago
Variations in a color of the blooms has nothing to do with a cultivar name in this particular case, it all depends on acidity of the soil or potting medium it is/was growing.

Seems like we have another flood of look-alike japanese type cultivars after flood of look-alike mopheads.

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