by Suzanne French
Dotted throughout the garden hydrangeas provide delightful pockets of color among the lush expanses of summer green. For the past three months, they have dazzled us with their pink, blue, purple and white blooms. But with the season waning their mopheads, lacecaps and panicles have all but faded away. Even Hydrangea macrophylla Endless Summer™ knows summer is at its’ end! With the cooler nights, shorter days, and the ground scattered with fallen leaves it appears autumn is certainly near. Oakleaf hydrangea foliage will turn a splendid red, the huge flowers of Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’ and ‘Grandiflora’ will age to attractive hues of chartreuse and the red stems of Hydrangea ‘Lady in Red’ will become even more evident. And while I look forward to enjoying all of these attributes I can’t help but want to enjoy the eye-catching flowers, for which hydrangeas are best known, for a little while longer.
Luckily I can! In the dappled shade of Enchanted Woods grows Hydrangea involucrata, which is now in full bloom. Striking lacecaps, made up of delicate purplish blue fertile flowers surrounded by white showy sepals, emerge from huge peony-looking buds. It is the latest blooming species of hydrangea in the garden. This little known shrub grows to about four feet tall and wide making it a good choice for smaller gardens. Its’ leaves are covered with a bristly down making them fuzzy to the touch. A fun attribute where little hands, and big hands alike, may be sweeping across the branches! Originating in mountainous areas of Japan this hydrangea species prefers well drained sites. It also blooms on the new growth of the season! So no need to worry if winter gets a bit harsh. This hydrangea will still happily flower at the end of the following summer. Hydrangea involucrata is truly an excellent addition to any woodland garden!
