Shrub Madness Will Crown One Proven Winners Shrub A Champion

Proven Winners ColorChoice Shrub MadnessThis spring, plant geeks will raise one of 64 Proven Winners ColorChoice varieties to the level of victor in the first annual Shrub Madness Plant Playoffs. Spanning March 3 to April 4, the basketball tournament-style bracket will move through six rounds of competition at the Proven Winners ColorChoice Facebook page, using popular vote to determine the winner of each match.

The voting public will have the opportunity to score one of five grand prizes: a collection of the last four plants standing, known as the Floral Four. Dozens of additional prizes will be awarded throughout the playoffs.

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Competing plants and their tournament seed status were determined by the Plant Selection Committee, a panel of horticultural experts.

“We feel that the power conferences like hydrangeas and roses are well-represented,” says Jane Beggs-Joles, head of the selection committee. “But there is plenty of room for upsets from the mid-major genera, and definitely the potential for a Cinderella to make a run deep into the tournament.”

Stacey Hirvela, Proven Winners ColorChoice’s social media specialist, has insight to Facebook fan behavior and agrees that the popular vote could offer surprising results.

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“With more than 32,000 fans weighing in on the competition, this is anyone’s game,” Hirvela says. “Time and again, our fan base has proven their love for hydrangeas, but they’re a hungry bunch. They’re a smart bunch, and they know a good plant when they see one. I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if a truly garden worthy, but less-than-showy plant makes it to the later rounds. With prizes like these at stake, all I can say for sure is the action will be non-stop, the opinions will be heated and the championship will be well-earned.”

The first round will set the pace for the tournament, eliminating 32 shrubs in a flurry of activity. The remaining plants will compete in the second round from March 13 to 18 and then the third round from March 19 to 20. The fourth round, March 21 to 26, will determine the Floral Four, which will continue on to compete from March 27 to 30 in the fifth round. The sixth and final round to crown the champion will take place from March 31 to April 4.

For more information, please contact Shannon Springer at [email protected].

First round match-ups will take place on the Proven Winners ColorChoice Facebook page as follows:

March 3
Lo & Behold ‘Blue Chip’ butterfly bush vs. ‘Good Vibrations’ gold juniper
‘Bloomerang Purple’ lilac vs. ‘Frozen Flame’ hebe
‘Little Lime’ hydrangea vs. ‘Celtic Pride’ Siberian cypress
‘Sonic Bloom Pink’ weigela vs. ‘Happy Face White Bush’ cinquefoil

March 4
‘My Monet’ weigela vs. ‘Red Wall’ Virginia creeper
‘Fine Line’ buckthorn vs. ‘Soft Serve’ false cypress
‘Little Henry’ sweetspire vs. ‘Arctic Fire’ red twig dogwood
‘Spilled Wine’ weigela vs. ‘Abracadabra Star’ hydrangea

March 5
‘Bobo’ hydrangea vs. ‘Handsome Devil’ viburnum
‘Invincibelle Spirit’ hydrangea vs. ‘Marie Rose’ New Jersey tea
‘Oso Easy Mango Salsa’ rose vs. ‘Sky Pointer’ Japanese holly
‘Incrediball’ hydrangea vs. ‘Pinky Bells’ abelia

March 6
‘Lavender Chiffon’ Rose of Sharon vs. ‘Glow Girl’ spirea
‘Fine Wine’ weigela vs. ‘Bloom-A-Thon Red’ azalea
‘Double Play Big Bang’ spirea vs. ‘Sunjoy Gold Pillar’ barberry
‘Lo & Behold Purple Haze’ butterfly bush vs. ‘Petit Bleu’ bluebeard

March 7
‘Let’s Dance Diva!’ hydrangea vs. ‘Chardonnay Pearls’ deutzia
‘Sugar Tip’ Rose of Sharon vs. ‘Tuff Stuff’ hydrangea
‘Brandywine’ viburnum vs. ‘Amy Cotta’ rhododendron
‘Dream Catcher’ beauty bush vs. ‘Show Off Sugar Baby’ forsythia

March 10
‘Let’s Dance Rhapsody Blue’ hydrangea vs. ‘Oso Happy Candy Oh!’ rose
‘Summer Wine’ ninebark vs. ‘Spice Girl’ viburnum
‘Pinky Winky’ hydrangea vs. ‘Azurri Blue Satin’ Rose of Sharon
‘Miss Ruby’ butterfly bush vs. ‘Berry Heavy Winterberry’ holly

March 11
‘Sweet Summer Love’ clematis vs. ‘Vanilla Spice’ summersweet
‘Home Run’ rose vs. ‘Castle Spire Blue’ holly
‘Cityline Mars’ hydrangea vs. ‘Summer Shandy’ hop
‘Fire Light’ hydrangea vs. ‘Sugar Shack’ buttonbush

March 12
‘Big Lifeberry’ goji berry vs. ‘Double Take Scarlet Storm’ quince
‘Black Beauty’ elderberry vs. ‘Crème Fraiche’ deutzia
‘Coppertina’ ninebark vs. ‘Ghost’ weigela
‘Oso Easy Paprika’ rose vs. ‘Lil’ Kim’ Rose of Sharon

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