Members of the Hydrangaceae family are a fun addition to the Northwest garden. When you want to break up the greens and add more color to your summer palette, hydrangeas pack a good punch with their impressive clusters of flowers. ‘Nikko Blue’ is a tried-and-true cultivar that gives your garden long-lasting flushes of brilliant blue flowers. Such a profusion of color is really quite striking. The Japanese Hydrangea Vine (
Schizophragma hydrangeoides) is a deciduous vine in the Hydrangaceae family with toothed, heart-shaped leaves and flat-topped, lace-cap clusters of white flowers. 'Moonlight' is a fun cultivar with silvery, blue-green foliage.
One of the downsides to most hydrangeas, however, is that we have to say goodbye to both the flowers and the foliage as the days grow shorter and colder. We plant these shrubs and vines to give us a lovely burst of color in spring and summer, but we’re left with bare wood in the cold season. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a hydrangea that kept some of its foliage come winter? Well, it just so happens that I’ve got a few evergreen varieties that might interest you. Let's take a peek at this week's Fun Friday highlights.
Blue Evergreen Hydrangea
Dichroa febrifuga
This is a half-hardy shrub is a Chinese native that grows about 4 to 6 feet tall, with the familiar dark green leaves and clusters of hydrangea-like flowers. The white buds open to bright blue flowers that are followed by striking metallic blue berries.
Hydrangea integrifolia
Evergreen Climbing Hydrangea
From
Great Plant Picks: “This evergreen climbing hydrangea is an elegant and graceful clinging vine with year-round interest. The stout new growth emerges with bronzy tones that contrast nicely with the older, deep green foliage. Although this vine can be slow to reach blooming age, it is well worth the wait. In early summer, huge rounded flower buds open to an attractive lacy, white bloom reminiscent of the familiar shrubby, lacecap hydrangeas. It is a surprisingly vigorous vine and is excellent for covering unsightly retaining walls and harsh rockeries. The side branches reach out from the main trunks, creating a layered and graceful three-dimensional effect. It clings by means of aerial roots. As it becomes a large, heavy vine with age, be sure to provide strong, long-lasting support. It is striking when grown up tall evergreen trees, where it can brighten a woodland setting. One of the few vines that blooms well in shade, it also can be used on a north-facing wall or fence. This native of Taiwan and the Philippines is not common but is worth seeking out.”
They seem like great plants to try out, and I do wonder how well they would work in the Pacific Northwest. Have you had success with either of these evergreen types?
