Hydrangea arborescens L.

Wild Hydrangea; Smooth Hydrangea; Nine Bark Hydrangea

Shrub

Perennial

Vascular

Wild Hydrangea is a native deciduous shrub in the Hydrangea family (Hydrangeaceae). It is native to nearly the entire state but is less common in south Alabama. Wild Hydrangea occurs on the banks of streams and rivers, on bluffs, and on ravine slopes. It is a multi-trunked shrub reaching heights of 4-8 feet. The young stems are green in color and slightly pubescent. On older stems the bark is brown and exfoliates in long, think strips. The stems have a large central pith. Leaves are opposite, petiolate, ovate to oval in outline, and serrate. The leaves are short pubescent with the upper surface dark green and the lower surface pale green. Flowers are produced in terminal flat-topped compound cymes. The flowers are all fertile or most often with several large sterile flowers around the outside of the inflorescence. The sterile flowers have 4 white large petal-like sepals and stalks much longer than those of the fertile flowers. Fertile flowers have 5 small white sepals and 5 white petals. The fruit is a capsule. Wild Hydrangea is an excellent alternative to non-native species. It can be purchased from native plant nurseries or rooted from cuttings. It prefers a moist, organic-rich soil and full to partial shade.--A. Diamond

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Native FACU (NWPL) G5 (Global Rank)

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