Evaluation of Powdery Mildew Resistance in Hydrangea macrophylla

Abstract Powdery mildew, Erysiphe polygoni DC, can be a significant problem on Hydrangea macrophylla (Thunb.) Ser. in the landscape in late summer to fall and during greenhouse propagation or production of potted plants. Because very little information related to sources of resistance is available, 90 H. macrophylla cultivars were evaluated for resistance to powdery mildew over a 3-year period. This included 69 H. macrophylla ssp. macrophylla and 18 H. macrophylla ssp. serrata (Thunb.) Makino cultivars, along with three cultivars that are hybrids between the two subspecies. Significant differences among cultivars to powdery mildew were found in all three study years. Three cultivars, ‘Amagi Amacha’, ‘Shirofuji’ and ‘Veitchii’, were among the most resistant each year. ‘Diadem’, ‘Komachi’, and ‘Omacha’ were highly resistant in 2006 and 2008, but only moderately resistant in 2007. ‘Komachi’ and ‘Shirofuji’ were considered unsuitable for breeding purposes as they do not appear to produce fertile flowers. ‘Veitchii’ was the only member of H. macrophylla ssp. macrophylla with a high level of powdery mildew resistance; while all other resistant cultivars were members of H. macrophylla ssp. serrata, not all members of this subspecies are resistant. Results of this study will be useful in breeding powdery mildew resistant H. macrophylla.