I have read that you should only buy arborescens variety when it is blooming to ensure they are the correct variety, is this the case? If so, there are none flowering in the nursery now. Is it safe to wait until they start flowering? Will planting them at that point disrupt their growth?

I am also very interested in the paniculata varieties. I have found Limelight ($50!), little lime ($20), vanilla strawberry ($10). The limelight plants are large already, but that price is a little hard to swallow. Is it worth it? Do either of the cheaper variety show just as much promise in terms of flower quality and quantity in your garden?

I'm also a little confused, the vanilla strawberry variety is extremely conical in some photos (similar to a pinky winky?) Is it a mix of extremely conical and more rounded, or does it depend on the plant I'm buying? Is this another one where I should wait until it's flowering to make a decision? Or is the vanilla strawberry not worth my ten bucks for other reasons..

Thank you!