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Unless you live in a Hardiness Zone 6 -- one of those small protected pockets in the foothills of Denver or Boulder -- a lovely blue or pink hydrangea is not going to grace your garden. But several other hydrangea species are yours for the choosing.
The Climbing Hydrangea, H. anomala petiolaris, is a vine that can climb up to 75 feet. It is self-clinging, and bears flattened clusters of small white flowers. The vine becomes woody with age and will be shrubby and sprawling without support. In winter, the exfoliating bark is quite ornamental.
Smooth Hydrangea, H. arborescens, is a shrub with an upright and dense habit that can grow up to 10 feet high and wide. The leaves are large and serrated. The preferred cultivar is 'Annabelle,' which produces enormous globular clusters of small white flowers.
Hydrangea paniculata, also known as Peegee, produces cone-like panicles of blossoms and can contain both the small fertile and the large sterile flower. The shrub is coarser in texture, is upright in form, and can be trained to a 25-foot tree, though it performs best as an 8-to-10 foot bush. Leaves turn bronzy in the fall and most flowers turn pink as they age. Popular cultivars are 'Grandiflora' and 'Tardiva,' which blooms later.
The Oakleaf Hydrangea, H. quercifolia, features deeply lobed leaves, which turn bronze- to-crimson in the fall. It grows to a height of 6 to 8 feet and can get as wide as 12 feet. The blooms are elongated and are a mixture of the small fertile and large sterile flowers which fade to pink. Cultivars are 'Alice,' 'Snowqueen' and 'Snowflake.' Prune after bloom.
All of these are deciduous and the shrubs may die back to the ground in winter. If not, with the exception of the Oakleaf, prune in late dormant season.
Hydrangeas prefer moist, rich, well-drained soil and shade or dappled shade. They are hardy to Zone 4.
For more information on Gardening, contact your
local Colorado State University Extension office.
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