Smooth Lacecap Hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens), Beautiful Native Pollinator Magnet for Shade!! 3.5" Deep Pot

PLEASE SEE WESTERN SHIPPING RESTRICTIONS BELOW DESCRIPTION PRIOR TO ORDERING!

Hydrangeas are some of the most popular shrubs around the world with a handful native to North America! The Smooth Lacecap Hydrangea (H. arborescens) is the wild cousin to the more well-known Annabelle Hydrangea, a much beloved cultivar with its large white snowball type bloom that has become a garden staple since it was discovered a hundred years ago as a natural hybrid. While the Annabelle's popularity is well-deserved among humans due to its showy, outsized blooms, if you're a hungry pollinator looking for a meal, the Annabelle has absolutely no value as it is sterile! (In fact, any of the 'snowball' type blooms on Viburnums, Hydrangeas, or other plants are also sterile, as are any 'double-flowered' blooms. Great eye-candy for us, zero food value to our insect and bird friends.)

Smooth Hydrangea is easy to grow in full-to-partly shaded areas and typically stay in the 4' range tall and wide, but can grow up to twice that size. It's not particular about soil but does best in a loamy, moist environment with lots of organic matter, however, it can withstand periodic dry spells once established. They are quite carefree, and bloom in late spring to early summer in my Zone 7 region. In cooler zones, bloom will be early to mid-summer, and they can take more sunlight, as well, given consistent moisture.

Smooth Hydrangea blooms on new wood each year, and pruning is not really necessary. You can prune out last year's dead stems if you want to clean it up a bit in the fall or early spring, but if not, the new growth will soon hide the old stems as they break off and disappear. This makes the age-old conundrum of "When should I prune my Hydrangea?" easy. Just don't, and you'll be fine. (For many Hydrangeas, you want to prune soon after they bloom so they put on new growth and hopefully set bud for bloom the following year. Your mileage may vary.)

'Lacecap' type blooms found on Hydrangeas, Viburnums, and others, sport an outer ring of showy infertile flowers which surround the inner fertile flowers that provide the desirable nectar and pollen for pollinators. Once pollinated these fertile flowers then set seed by the thousands but, surprisingly, they rarely self-sow unwanted volunteers. The showy infertile flowers can last for months on Hydrangeas, however, they may change color over time. This trait can be used to good effect for dried flower arrangements. Note that Smooth Hydrangea blooms are white and do not change color according to soil ph like some of the Asian hydrangea varieties.

Add this easy and important plant to your landscape, with or without its snowball cousin, Annabelle! Hardy in Zones 3-9.

This offer is for a 3.5"x5" deep potted plant of Smooth Hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens). It may be pruned prior to shipping.

WE CANNOT SHIP POTTED PLANTS TO THE FOLLOWING STATES DUE TO SHIPPING RESTRICTIONS: CALIFORNIA, OREGON, WASHINGTON, ARIZONA, ALASKA, HAWAII, IDAHO, NEVADA, UTAH, COLORADO, & NEW MEXICO.

Some items may be available to these areas during dormant season when we can ship items bare root. Please message me if you have questions.