Monrovia Celebrates 100 Years with a Rare Living Jewel
October 7, 2025 | 3 min to read
Monrovia celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2026 with Centennial Ruby™, a radiant Hydrangea macrophylla featuring deep ruby-red blooms that darken with age against bright green foliage. Limited to 5,000 numbered plants, it offers compact growth (≈3 ft), sturdy stems, and blooms lasting over 100 days, suited to Zones 4–9. Monrovia touts its strong garden performance and trend-setting saturated color as a collector’s must-have for the anniversary season.
Introducing Centennial Ruby™ Hydrangea – the must-have plant for 2026
Dayton, Oregon – In 2026, Monrovia marks a century of horticultural excellence. The company is celebrating with the debut of a radiant new hydrangea: Centennial Ruby™ is a stunning new variety with deep ruby-red blooms that darken as they mature to create a dramatic, color-shifting display of blooms against bright green foliage.
Available as a limited edition in 2026, CentennialRuby Hydrangea will be the sparkling gem of the company’s 100th anniversary season. The first 5,000 plants will include a special tag, each with a limited-edition number. With a limited quantity of plants available, it is sure to become a collector’s item.
“When we saw this hydrangea in our trials, we knew it was special,” says Jonathan Pedersen, CEO and president of Monrovia. “This is the dramatic red hydrangea everyone has been waiting for with intense color and outstanding garden performance. It is the perfect plant to celebrate Monrovia’s milestone.”
Centennial Ruby combines visual impact with performance: strong, sturdy stems support large blooms that last more than 100 days, and the sturdiness of the plant makes it ideal for changing weather conditions. This Hydrangea macrophylla stays compact, topping out at 3 feet tall and wide. Its petite size and long-lasting blooms make it perfect as a front border or container plant. It is recommended for Zones 4-9.
“Centennial Ruby is the plant everyone will want in their garden,” says Katie Tamony, CMO and trend spotter for Monrovia. “Its rich, saturated color speaks to design and garden trends. Gardeners are craving bold, romantic tones, and this plant really delivers that something special.”
Learn more about Centennial Ruby in this video: https://www.monrovia.com/centennial-ruby-hydrangea-introduction.
About Monrovia
Inspired by the beauty of plants, gardens, and landscapes everywhere, Harry E. Rosedale, Sr. founded Monrovia in 1926 to be a premier grower of shrubs and trees. Monrovia collaborates with plant breeders around the world to introduce improved plant varieties to North America. Monrovia plants flourish once planted to beautify gardens and landscapes. Please visit Monrovia.com to learn more.