Hollyhill Snowfire
Hollyhill Snowfire
Hollyhill Snowfire is a wonderfully unpredictable waterlily from Ted and Margaret Kennedy of Hollyhill Dahlias, introduced in 2017. She opens in shifting combinations of white, creamy yellow, and vivid red, with no promise that one flower will look quite like the next. Some blooms can be nearly white with just a flicker of color, while others erupt with red streaks and warm yellow through the petals. It is that beautiful instability that makes her so collectible. Hollyhill themselves described her as an unusual tri-color waterlily whose flowers produce many different color schemes.
🌱 2027 Grow-Out
Hollyhill Snowfire will arrive at Hedge & Alchemy in Spring 2027 and will be grown here for the first time that season. She will not be offered in our 2027 tuber sale.
📋 Cultivar Notes
- Breeder / Hybridizer: Ted & Margaret Kennedy / Hollyhill Dahlias
- Year of Introduction: 2017
- Origin: USA
- Form: Waterlily (WL)
- ADS Classification Number: 7314 (Waterlily / Variegated)
- Color: Variegated white, yellow, and red
- Bloom Size: Generally around 4 to 6 inches
- Cut Flower Status: Excellent. Hollyhill specifically selected her as an unusual bouquet flower, and the variable coloring makes every cutting bucket a little different.
- Show & Exhibition Flower Status: Yes. Hollyhill Snowfire is recognized as a waterlily exhibition cultivar and has appeared successfully in ADS competition.
🌱 Growing Notes
- Bloom: Broad, gently cupped waterlily petals in a highly variable combination of white, cream-yellow, and red. Individual flowers may range from almost snowy white to boldly streaked and splashed with red and yellow.
- Plant Height & Habit: Tall and extremely vigorous, commonly reaching around 5 to 6 feet.
- Growing Notes: Hollyhill describes her as an exceptionally vigorous plant. Stake early and well, especially in exposed gardens, because she can become a substantial bush by late season.
- Tuber Yield: Reported by Ted Kennedy to be a good tuber maker, though performance at Hedge & Alchemy will be tracked during the 2027 season.