Monrovia Introduces Dan Hinkley Collection

Ellen C. Wells

Monrovia is introducing a new plant collection beginning in early summer 2009. The collection is based on Monrovia’s recent partnership with renowned plant explorer and author Dan Hinkley.

The Dan Hinkley Collection will begin with seven exclusive and semi-exclusive varieties and features a frost-hardy Abutilon, four stunning Fuchsia, a winter-hardy Disporopsis and a red-leafed Mukdenia.
Dan Hinkley travels the world seeking unusual and exotic plants, and trials them to evaluate their performance in the garden. Of special concern to Dan is that his introductions don’t possess the potential for bio-invasiveness.

“Monrovia is so fortunate to be partnering with Dan and to add his hand-selected treasures to our inventory,” said Nicholas Staddon, director of Monrovia’s New Plants Team. “The propagation greenhouse in our Oregon nursery is teeming with row upon row of the 250 new cultivars we are trialing ... each a Dan Hinkley discovery.”
The first introductions in the new Dan Hinkley Collection by Monrovia include:

• Abutilon x hybridum ‘Cascade Dawn,’ Zone 8-11. A Monrovia exclusive.
  
• Disporopsis pernyi ‘Sichuan Jade,’ Zone 7-9. A Monrovia exclusive.
  
• Fuchsia excorticata ‘Kiwi Sheen,’ Zone 8-10. A Monrovia exclusive.
  
• Fuchsia genii ‘Aurea,’ Zone 7-9. A Monrovia exclusive.
  
• Fuchsia ‘Hawkshead,’ Zone 7-9.
  
• Fuchsia magellanica ‘Windcliff Flurry,’ Zone 7–9. A Monrovia exclusive.
  
• Mukdenia rossi ‘Crimson Fans’ (‘Karasuba’),
  common name: Red-Leafed Mukdenia; Zone 4-9.

In addition to traveling the globe in search of new plants, Dan has also penned several books including Winter Ornamentals and The Explorers Garden: Rare and Unusual Perennials. Dan is also a popular gardening magazine columnist and a frequent horticultural expert on many television shows. Dan lives and gardens at Windcliff, his bluff-top garden overlooking Puget Sound.