Spring flowers have faded away and summer is upon us. June is the month for hydrangeas.
The Bigleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) is what most people think of when they think of hydrangeas. The color of this shrub’s flowers is determined by the pH of the soil, blue in acid soil and pink in alkaline soil. So here we get blue Bigleaf Hydrangeas. The flower color of some hydrangeas is not affected by soil pH. The arboretum has two of these kinds of hydrangeas.
is one of our native deciduous shrubs. It has large, coarse leaves and large showy panicles of flowers that open white but fade to a pale pink. The flowers dry and remain on the shrub all winter. Fall leaf color is mottled with wine, red, and orange. The exfoliating bark and crooked branches with the dried flowers keep this shrub interesting in the winter months. Birds eat the seeds. It tends to sprawl and sucker so give it plenty of room. Mature height and spread is 6-8 feet by 8 feet. It likes a sunny to partially shady spot with moist, fertile, well-drained soil. However, it is very adaptable and will tolerate drought when established. The Oak Leaf Hydrangea makes a beautiful hedge or showy accent along the edge of the woods. If your yard is small, there are two dwarf cultivars (Pee Wee and Sikes Dwarf) that get about 4 feet by 4 feet. The arboretum has a very large mature Oak Leaf Hydrangea. It is on the left of the overlook or wedding garden. You can’t miss it.
The other hydrangea with huge flowers is Annabelle Hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’). There are four of them adorning the corners of the friendship and herb gardens.
These flowers are also white but they are huge balls that can weigh the branches down to the ground when wet. The dark green leaves are rounded to heart-shaped. Leaves may turn yellow in the fall, but usually just turn brown and fall off. This shrub grows 3-5 feet in height and width, but will sucker and get much wider if you let it. If you prune off the first flush of flowers after they fade, you may get a second flowering in late summer, early autumn. This shrub needs shade and supplemental water in drought.
Hydrangea blooms dry well and make beautiful additions to dried flower arrangements. These shrubs are easy to grow and generally pest and disease free. If you want to add a bold statement to your garden, plant the Oak Leaf Hydrangea or Annabelle Hydrangea. Come out to the arboretum and have a look. One’s covered with long cones of white flowers and one’s weighed down with huge white balls. They’re in their glory now.
is one of our native deciduous shrubs. It has large, coarse leaves and large showy panicles of flowers that open white but fade to a pale pink. The flowers dry and remain on the shrub all winter. Fall leaf color is mottled with wine, red, and orange. The exfoliating bark and crooked branches with the dried flowers keep this shrub interesting in the winter months. Birds eat the seeds. It tends to sprawl and sucker so give it plenty of room. Mature height and spread is 6-8 feet by 8 feet. It likes a sunny to partially shady spot with moist, fertile, well-drained soil. However, it is very adaptable and will tolerate drought when established. The Oak Leaf Hydrangea makes a beautiful hedge or showy accent along the edge of the woods. If your yard is small, there are two dwarf cultivars (Pee Wee and Sikes Dwarf) that get about 4 feet by 4 feet. The arboretum has a very large mature Oak Leaf Hydrangea. It is on the left of the overlook or wedding garden. You can’t miss it.
These flowers are also white but they are huge balls that can weigh the branches down to the ground when wet. The dark green leaves are rounded to heart-shaped. Leaves may turn yellow in the fall, but usually just turn brown and fall off. This shrub grows 3-5 feet in height and width, but will sucker and get much wider if you let it. If you prune off the first flush of flowers after they fade, you may get a second flowering in late summer, early autumn. This shrub needs shade and supplemental water in drought.