MEDIARELEASE:11FEBRUARY2016Acer‘Moonrise’:thestunningnewintroductionbyHillierNurseriesattheRHSChelseaFlowerShow2016

NEWANDEXCLUSIVETOHILLIERINTHEUK

FirstdiscoveredbytheacclaimedJapaneseMaplespecialist,CarlMunn,asachanceseedlingonhisOregonnurserybackin1991,Acershirasawanum‘Moonrise’willfinallymakeitsUKdebutwithHillierNurseriesattheRHSChelseaFlowerShowthisMay.ThegreatstrengthsofAcer‘Moonrise’lieinitsspectacularseasonalcolouranditsresistancetodiseaseandleafburn.Inspring,itsnewshootsemergebrightredmakingabeautifulcontrastwiththefullyopened,fresh,chartreuseleaves.Insummer,Acer‘Moonrise’istotallycoveredinalmostfluorescentchartreusefoliage,whichturnsvibrantredinautumn.CarlMunnobservedtheplant’sgrowthandhabitfor15yearsbeforestartingproduction,andnamedthisvariety‘Moonrise’asthecolourprogressionremindedhimofamoonrisinginthenightsky.Acer‘Moonrise’lovesaspotinsunorpartialshadeinmoist,well-drainedsoilandishardyto-22°C.Thisvarietylendsitselfequallytoplantinginamixedborderorinalargecontainerasaspecimenplantonthepatioorbalcony,andwillgrowto3mtallby1mwide.Lightpruningcanbecarriedoutinspringorsummer.FromChelseaWeek(weekbeginning23May),Acer‘Moonrise’willbeavailabletobuyfromHillierGardenCentresandleadinggardencentresacrossthecountryin3litrepotspricedataround£30.

AboutHillierNurseries www.hillier.co.ukHillierwasfoundedin1864byEdwinHillierandremainsafamily-runnurserywiththefifthgenerationnowactivelyinvolvedinthebusiness.Hillieremploys500peopleacrossitswholesalenursery,treesandgardencentredivisionsandisbasedatAmpfieldinHampshire.HillierhasbeeninvolvedintheRHSChelseaFlowerShowfromtheearlydaysandisthemostsuccessfulexhibitorintheshow’shistorywitharecord70consecutiveRHSChelseaGoldmedals.Thisyear’sHillierExhibitisentitled‘HillierinSpringtime’andhasbeendesignedbytheaward-winninggardendesignerandlandscapearchitect,SarahEberle.Sarah,whowasDesignDirectorofHillierLandscapesformanyyears,isthefirstwomantoeverdesignashowexhibitforHillier.ShehaswonGoldmedalsineveryothergardendesigncategoryatChelsea,andishopingto“completetheset”withherfirsteverexhibitintheGreatPavilion.MediaContactsAcershirasawanum‘Moonrise’(‘Munn001’PBR)isprotectedbyEuropeanPlantBreeders’RightsundernumberEU240521.ThisvarietywasdevelopedbyMunnNursery(USA).ForinformationonAcer‘Moonrise’,hi-resimagesandtoarrangeinterviews,pleasecontact:LizAnderson,HillierChelseaPublicityTel:01952501594 Mobile:07976061092 Email:liz@lizanderson.co.uk

HillierNurseries&GardenCentres,AmpfieldHouse,Ampfield,Romsey,HampshireSO519PA