Our Wild Hydrangea

Anyone who has grown the cultivated Hydrangeas knows how thirsty they are. Dry spells do not improve them. Yet here in Tennessee we can find Hydrangea arborescens clinging to dry limestone ledges and enduring this state's summer droughts. Our other native hydrangea is the more garden worthy Oak Leaf Hydrangea. I have seen it in gardens all over the state, but never have I seen it in the wild. I grew the double-flowered cultivar "Snowflake" in my old garden, and I gave it to my neighbor when I moved.

Click on these photos for a better view.