By Miri Talabac, Woody Plant Buyer/Manager

Hydrangea quercifolia Pee Wee

I think it’s a safe bet to say that everyone has grown or at least seen hydrangeas; they permeate the American landscape. What many may not have experienced is the range of hydrangeas out there to try.

There’s a trifecta, if you will, of hydrangeas that are the most commonly encountered: Smooth (‘Annabelle’ is the star child of this group), Panicle (‘PeeGee’ is the one here) and Bigleaf (also known as mopheads, lacecaps, or simply Hortensias; there are a gazillion of these). Each beautiful in its own right, we’ll showcase these plus some others that we feel are among the best to grow.

Hydrangea quercifolia Pee Wee

While ‘Annabelle’ is the famous white snowball-flowered early summer showoff, there are other Smooth Hydrangeas out there. Try White Dome® if you want something more subdued and closer to the wild form (yes, they’re native!) as it’s a lacecap type. Two new varieties, Incrediball and Invincibelle Spirit are making their way into the market.

The former is a large-flowered white; the latter a rare pink. It’s also a pink-ribbon plant that benefits the Breast Cancer Research Foundation®. Bigleaf types have pink, purple, blue or white flowers in either mophead (ball) or lacecap (flat) forms. The recently developed Endless Summer® series gives you a longer flowering due to the ability to grow flower buds throughout the summer – something old varieties don’t do.

Endless Summer Hydrangea

A few other newbies do this too, like ‘Penny Mac’ and its little sister, ‘Mini Penny.’ Cultivars in another new series, Cityline™, are very compact and sturdy growers. They are named after European cities, hence Berlin and Vienna. Then there are fantastic oddball varieties with black stems, double lacecaps, or variegated foliage.

Hydrangea macrophylla Cityline Berlin

Panicle hydrangeas are branching out too. New cultivars like Pinky Winky™ and Quick Fire™ start turning pink from the bottom of the cluster up before the white flowers have even finished opening at the top. They also have spectacular fall color – rich russet-orange and bronze-red – where others just turn yellow.

Limelight® is popular for its pastel lime-green young flowers, and ‘Little Lamb’ is a more compact and smaller-flowered version of PeeGee so it doesn’t tend to arch under the weight of the flowers (which, admittedly, can look nice). White Diamonds™ has strong stems with large white flowers than open earlier than most.

Hydrangea quercifolia Little Honey

Oakleaf types have, you guessed it, oak-shaped leaves that are covered in downy silver fuzz in spring on soft, cinnamon-orange stems. Fall leaves are burgundy, red and caramel-orange, and I have seen a few of them remain on plants sheltered from strong winds well into early spring. Bark peels on older plants, an excellent feature in winter. Flowers are ivory-white, with some fragrance, and open in early summer.

Schizophragma hydrangeoides

Climbing hydrangeas are the best flowering vine for shady spots. They cling to bark, brick, or wood; although they are slower than most vines, I have seen them reach 50’ or more on tall tree trunks. There are three members of the hydrangea family that grow well here, and they’re all a mouthful: Climbing Hydrangea (Hydrangea anomala petiolaris), Japanese Hydrangeavine (Schizophragma hydrangeoides) and Woodvamp (Decumaria barbara), the latter being native in this area.

White flowers show up between late spring and early summer, and leaves turn yellow in fall (only Woodvamp can be evergreen). Climbing Hydrangea also has peeling bark like the Oakleaf types. Since they also take part shade, I like throwing Clematis in to scramble up through them and extend the flowering season.

Hydrangea quercifolia Snowflake

All hydrangeas prefer to be moist in well-drained soil that is at least slightly acidic. During drought, you should soak them every now and then. Afternoon shade and mulched roots will keep them cooler and less likely to wilt in than full sun. For the Bigleaf hydrangeas that have flowers that can change color, stronger acidity will give you purples and blues. Less acid soil that has some extra potassium will give you pink.

Smooth and Panicle hydrangeas flower on new growth and can be cut back in late winter with no worries; Oakleaf, Bigleaf, and Climbing types flower on old growth from the prior year, and if you prune before they flower you risk removing all your flowers for that year. Generally, though, most hydrangeas don’t even need regular pruning. Just sit back and enjoy the show!

Oakleaf Hydrangea – Hydrangea quercifolia

Hydrangea quercifolia Pee Wee - Fall Color

A hydrangea with oak-shaped leaves! What will mother nature think of next? How about peeling bark, downy-silver new growth, cinnamon-orange stems, fragrant flowers and rich fall color?

This hydrangea’s got it all. Flowers are an ivory-white and draw bumble bees and even some butterflies. The best feature may be the fall foliage colors – maroon, red, scarlet and caramel-orange.

While native a bit further south of here, they are still perfectly hardy and well-adapted to our soil. Give them full sun for best color, but they are probably happiest in afternoon shade, where their leaves can grow up to 10” long or so! Ideal soil is moist and well-drained.

Hydrangea quercifolia

This hydrangea flowers on growth from the previous year like the mophead/lacecap types, so should be pruned when needed after flowers fade – not in spring.

Hydrangea quercifolia Pee Wee

There are many varieties to fit any area, from ‘Sikes Dwarf’ maturing around 3’ tall to ‘Snow Queen,’ ‘Alice’ and ‘Snowflake’ that reach from 6 to 8’ tall. ‘Pee Wee’ is the most well-known variety, growing 4-5’ tall and wide in 10 years or so. ‘Little Honey’ is the chartreuse-leaved version.

Hydrangea quercifolia Little Honey

Virginia Sweetspire – Itea virginica

Itea virginica

This is another locally native shrub and fantastic for multi-season interest. White flower clusters abound in late spring, and fresh green leaves cover the arching branches until fall, when they become a beacon of burgundy, red, orange and yellow.

Winter stems tend to stay deep red on young branches, and the dense root system is great for erosion control.

Since the flowers have a light sweet scent, they are a great draw for pollinators – bees and butterflies alike.

Itea virginica Henry's Garnet

Full sun will give you the richest fall colors, but in the wild these plants can also be found with other understory plants in the brighter spots in the woods.

Itea virginica Little Henry

Moist soils are a plus, and Sweetspire can even be happy in wet conditions. Mature height ranges by variety – from about 2-4’ for Little Henry™ to 3-5’ for ‘Henry’s Garnet’ – and each can spread to about 6’ wide. Any pruning needed should be done after flowering.

Winterberry Holly – Ilex verticillata

Ilex verticillata Winter Gold

Well this shrub at least has name that reminds us of why we love them – winter berries! A holly that doesn’t act like the hollies you’re familiar with – not prickly and not evergreen – and native to boot.

Versatile plants, they grow in full sun and in the forest understory, and from average soils to wet muck. Small bees pollinate the spring flowers, and like many hollies, plants are either male or female.

You must have at least one male in the area as a pollinator or no berries will form on the female plants. The ratio doesn’t have to be 1:1, and males can be many feet away if necessary. Berries start showing color in late summer or fall and tend to last most of the winter, since the birds don’t like them fresh. Cut branches are a great holiday decoration if you keep them dry and away from adventurous children (holly berries are harmful if ingested).

Ilex verticillata Winter Gold

There are many varieties around today, differing mostly in plant size and berry characteristics. Those we have in stock now are Berry Nice®, Berry Heavy®, and ‘Winter Gold.’

The first two are very similar, with a 6-8’ mature height and tons of medium-sized red berries. The latter is the same height, but with berries that are a golden-apricot color. Males for pollination are ‘Jim Dandy’ and ‘Southern Gentleman.’

Ilex verticillata Southern Gentleman - Fall Color

Two hybrids with Japanese Winterberries were introduced by the U.S. National Arboretum: ‘Sparkleberry’ (female) and ‘Apollo’ (male). Both are faster growers and mature taller at around 8-10’ with plum-purple new leaves.

Ilex x Sparkleberry

‘Sparkleberry’ berries ripen the earliest and are smaller but profuse. While not known for fall leaf color, I have seen vibrant golden-yellows on both ‘Southern Gentleman’ and ‘Winter Gold.’

Ilex verticillata Red Sprite

Chokeberry – Aronia

Aronia melanocarpa Autumn Magic

One of those plants that really should have a better name, this native flowering shrub gives you great multi-season interest.

In spring, clusters of white flowers attract all sorts of pollinators. The flowers develop into berries later in the season. As you might expect, Red Chokeberry has red berries; Black Chokeberry has purple-black berries.

Leaves are glossy green in the summer and become glowing shades of red, scarlet, orange and rich burgundy in fall. The bark is a nice smooth gray and not unattractive in winter.

Aronia melanocarpa Viking

Aronia melanocarpa is known as Black Chokeberry, and is the earlier of the two to ripen fruit, usually as early as mid-July. Birds also seem to favor this species, as the berries are typically gone within several weeks of ripening. Fall foliage tends to be on the burgundy to red scale, and the plant doesn’t spread as vigorously. The variety in stock now is ‘Viking,’ which is typical of the species at about 3-6’ tall and potentially twice as wide. Fruits are edible and supposedly a good source of Vitamin C, but they are bitter and astringent when raw. Try sweetening with sugar and use as a jelly or jam for they are rich in pectin; you can also mix them in with sweeter fruit juices or syrups.

Aronia arbutifolia

Aronia arbutifolia, Red Chokeberry, ripens fruit later – usually early fall. The berries must not be as attractive to birds since they last well into winter. This species also tends to sucker more– creeping roots sprout stems and create a good-sized colony. This trait is an excellent way to control erosion or fill in an area with fewer plants. Fall color on Red Chokeberries tends to be bright red, scarlet and orange, and the plants typically grow 6-8’ tall and 3-5’ wide or more.

Aronia arbutifolia Brilliantissima

Both Chokeberries grow best in full sun, but are adaptable to a range of soils, from swampy to sandy. Growth will be faster in moist soils, and plants will tolerate growing in spots of light under shade trees, but may be leggy at the base (that’s okay, put some ferns down there!)