Plant Development Services Inc. will make liners from two European-bred hydrangea brands available for sampling and purchase in North America beginning in January 2027, giving wholesale growers and retailers a production-planning window before broader retail distribution in 2028.
The Alabama-based plant development company said the Groundbreaker® and Living Creations® programs together encompass 16 Hydrangea paniculata varieties. The introductions target two different uses: Groundbreaker is a compact, groundcover-form panicle hydrangea, while Living Creations is a 14-variety collection positioned around changing flower colors, strong stems and an extended bloom period.
For the North American supply chain, the key date is January. Plant Development Services said liners will be offered directly and through designated brokers throughout North America. The company has not announced prices, initial volumes or a list of participating growers, so buyers planning 2027 trials will need to confirm availability and production specifications with their suppliers.
Hydrangea Liners: Groundbreaker Blush and Ruby
Groundbreaker Blush™ and Groundbreaker Ruby™ are scheduled for 2027 liner availability. A third variety, Groundbreaker Greeny™, is scheduled for 2028.
Plant Development Services describes the collection as naturally low-growing, reaching about 1 foot tall and 2 feet wide. The company lists the plants for full sun to partial shade in U.S. Department of Agriculture Zones 5 through 8 and says they flower from July through September. Those specifications create potential uses in borders, mass plantings, compact gardens and other locations where a conventional upright panicle hydrangea may be too large.
Blush begins with white flowers that develop a soft pink tone late in the season. Ruby starts with cream-colored flowers that mature to deep red. Greeny is described as producing lime-green blooms across the plant.
Ruby also brings an established award credential to the launch. The variety placed second in the 2026 RHS Chelsea Plant of the Year competition, according to Plant Development Services. Harries Plantdesign, which represents Groundbreaker in Europe, said breeder Alex Schoemaker of Boskoop, the Netherlands, developed the variety.
The award and European history provide useful market context, but North American performance will depend on regional production and landscape trials. Growers evaluating the line should confirm crop timing, finished container sizes, pruning protocols and cold-hardiness performance under their own conditions.
Living Creations adds a 14-variety assortment
Living Creations will enter North America with 14 varieties. Plant Development Services says the collection has won multiple awards from the Royal Boskoop Horticultural Society, known by its Dutch initials, KVBC.
The company is promoting the line for bold, evolving colors, strong stems, winter resilience and flowering for as long as 100 days. Examples named in the introduction include Living Candy Love®, with changing flower tones, and the green-flowered Living Little Apple®.
Those are supplier claims rather than results from a newly released North American trial. Retail and production teams should treat them as points to test, especially where summer heat, irrigation practices and shipping distances differ from European programs.
The breadth of the 14-variety assortment may give larger growers and retailers room to build a coordinated hydrangea program instead of relying on a single introduction. It also raises practical questions about which colors, plant sizes and delivery windows fit each market. A focused trial could help buyers compare sell-through, shelf presentation and post-delivery performance before committing to a broad rollout.
What growers and retailers should prepare for
The launch creates several near-term decisions for companies planning 2027 and 2028 shrub programs. Growers can use the January sampling window to request availability, technical guidance and trial quantities. Retailers can begin discussing whether a groundcover hydrangea belongs in the shrub aisle, seasonal color displays or compact-garden assortments.
Merchandising will need to make the distinction between the two brands clear. Groundbreaker’s low habit is the primary product difference. Living Creations offers a wider color and variety story. Point-of-purchase materials should explain those uses without promising performance that has not been demonstrated in a customer’s region.
Plant Development Services said its brand support can include advertising, public relations, social media, consumer education and point-of-purchase materials. Growers and retail buyers should confirm which assets will be available for the North American launch and whether packaging, tags and displays will be ready for their production deadlines.
The introduction follows continued industry attention to hydrangeas as both landscape plants and floral products. Super Floral recently covered the 2026 Iconic Hydrangea Challenge, which focused on floral design. The new Plant Development Services program is a separate supply story centered on genetics, liner access and future retail distribution.
Plant Development Services has posted program details for Groundbreaker and Living Creations. The company said retail distribution will expand in 2028, giving the trade time to evaluate the plants before the larger consumer rollout.
Travis Rigby is the publisher of SuperFloral, the news source for the mass-market floral industry. He leads its website and weekly newsletter, covering what matters to growers, breeders, supermarket floral buyers and category managers. Travis studied journalism at the University of Utah, founded and led PosterGarden.com for 27 years, and is president of FlowerBox.com.
