Robin Hill Hybrids

 

Robin Hill Hybrids are the result of the long time breeding program of Robert Gartrell of Wyckoff, New Jersey, which was initiated as early as 1937. Gartrell was born in Atlanta, GA in 1895 and graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology as a chemist. An admirer of the late-blooming Satsuki hybrids from Japan, he made crosses that usually contained at least one of these May bloomers with the result that most of these shrubs were of medium height and width and were usually late blooming with rare exception. Over 1,000 crosses were made with at least 25,000 seedlings tested, and from these, 69 cultivars were named the Robin Hill Hybrids. Quite a number were released under number to be further tested, and Mr. Gartrell did name another series of his later work under the Cripple Creek Hybrid name. All of his hybrids proved to be hardy in the New Jersey area where they originated as well as in the North Carolina mountain area where the Cripple Creek Nursery was located. For more on the Robin Hill Hybrids, see Donald Voss's history and images.