White Vanguard

White Vanguard.  Seidl/Chotkowski.  2020.  Herbaceous Hybrid.  Seedling #: Seidl 79H14-1. Parentage: (Archangel x Blushing Princess).  Semi-double to double flowers on mature plants, buff with pink tints on opening, then fading to white. Medium-sized blooms, moderately deep, becoming more rounded and deeper as the flower matures, with visual bulk being added to the flower by means of petals being gently ruffled, subtly crinkled, and held increasingly far apart. Tufts of thin petalodes emerge through the stamen boss and increase with plant maturity. Petals of average substance. Thick stamens are borne on short filaments. Ghost green carpels are tipped with dark red (mahogany) stigmas. Fertile both ways. Light sweet fragrance, rare for hybrids of this type of parentage. Vigorous when well grown, having rapid stem increase. Semi-shiny leaves are medium-sized atop the bush, becoming much larger lower down on the stem, reflecting its macrophylla heritage. Stems of medium thickness project upward and slightly outward. Foliage almost to the ground with stem “legs” well hidden. Height at maturity is 30 inches with a 36-inch spread.  Highly desirable plant for hybridizing.  Plants require well-drained soil and resent heavy clay soil.  Premium divisions ship from late September to mid-October.