Native Hydrangea Handles The Cold

By Phran Novelli

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - OK, now we've had some snow and ice, although nothing quite like last year's extended cold snaps that froze the buds off many of those old-fashioned big leaf hydrangeas, (hydrangea macrophylla). Last winter's harsh cold weather left many summer gardens almost completely bare of those beloved pink and blue blooms.

However, our native hydrangea arborescens, with its big puffballs of white flowers, bloomed just fine. And those flowerheads dry on the plant and stick around all winter if you let them. Mine did and in fact, I planted one of the new dusty pink cultivars, 'Invincibelle Spirit' a few years ago, and this past summer was its best blooming ever. Those pretty dried flowerheads are still decorating my garden. Right now they look more like snow balls, but the branches are stout enough to stand up to moderate snow and bounce back pretty well after being bent by ice.

Time will tell if those old-fashioned and not originally from this country pink and blue hydrangea macrophylla buds will survive this winter. But our native hydrangea arborescens are sure to shrug off the chill and bloom again this summer. So, why not plant a few this spring?