Wild Hydrangea Shrubs

The wild hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens) is a flowering, enduring shrub favorite for its charming flowers and versatility.

It has other familiar names such as smooth hydrangea and seven bark, because of its bark's distinctive peeling which reveals the layers underneath. It is a deciduous shrub native to the eastern United States, where it grows naturally on rocky slopes, in ravines, and along river banks. The roots of this plant were used widely by Native Americans for numerous medicinal purposes. Later, early settlers used the root to treat kidney and bladder stones.

Wild hydrangea flowers give off a slightly sweet scent and make both beautiful cut flowers and attractive dried flowers. 

The wild hydrangea will also grow well in USDA hardiness zones 3 to 9, and this hydrangea will withstand cold weather better than other varieties. It can tolerate large shade; it will grow in rocky and shallow spaces as well as clay soil.

Wild hydrangea plants can spread up to six feet in width and grow between four and six feet in height. They have dark green leaves with serrated edges that will turn yellow in autumn, creating a vividly colorful display along with its flowers. Plants bloom most prolifically from June through the first frosts, bearing small flowers that grow in cloud-like grouped clusters. New flowers begin as light green, then turn creamy white as they mature. Some more modern cultivars will produce pink flowers. The Hydrangea arborescens cultivar 'Annabelle' is the most well-known variety of wild hydrangea. It provides an impressive ten inch, strikingly white, flowers. All wild hydrangea flowers are rich in nectar and pollen and will attract butterflies, bumble bees, and other beneficial pollinators.

The wild hydrangea is a hardy and versatile plant.

It is easy to propagate and multiplies quickly. Its ability to adapt to various soil environments and long blooming season add to its growing popularity.

Wild Hydrangea Ships as Bare Root