Growing the Snowflake Oakleaf Hydrangea

Size and Appearance

The Snowflake Oakleaf Hydrangea is a rounded deciduous shrub that quickly grows 4 to 6 feet tall and wide, forming a valuable shrub for your garden. The large leaves are not at all like regular hydrangeas. They are 8 inches long and 5 inches wide, slightly leathery, with a slightly rough surface that is dark green on the top and silvery-green underneath. The leaves are divided into 5 lobes, with irregular serrations on the edges, and resemble some giant leaf from an oak tree. In winter they stay on the bush until it is very cold, turning beautiful wine shades of dark red and purple before falling.

Blooms begin early – as soon as April in very warm zones, but generally by mid-summer. These grow at the ends of stems growing on older branches, and they are a long, conical head of many blooms, between 12 and 15 inches long. Unlike other oakleaf hydrangeas the flowers have many petals in layers, forming a double bloom almost an inch across. These double blooms make the flower head far more striking and attractive than on other oakleaf hydrangeas. They also add weight, causing the bloom heads to arch over and even cascade in the most attractive way. The flowers are white with some green petals, and they open slowly and stay open week after week. The blooms gradually turn rosy-red and eventually a sandy brown for the winter.

Using the Snowflake Oakleaf Hydrangea in Your Garden

This fabulous shrub is perfect almost anywhere in your garden. Plant it in shrub beds behind smaller shrubs, or in the corners of beds. Grow it along a wide driveway or path, or use it in natural and native gardens as a color boost. For blooms in summer after spring flowers are over, it’s a winner because it stays in bloom for so very many weeks. It can even be grown in large tubs and planters.

Hardiness

The SNOWFLAKE Oakleaf Hydrangea is hardy all the way from zone 5 to zone 9, growing best and most vigorously in warmer states of the southeast.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

The versatile shrub is more sun-resistant and drought resistant than traditional hydrangeas, and it will grow in full sun as well as in areas that are bright but shaded. Too much shade will reduce flowering, but it is still a handsome foliage plant, and full sun gives the best fall colors. It will grow in all well-drained soils, including drier soil, although the best and biggest growth is in richer, moist soils. It does need good drainage, so avoid wet and low-lying parts of your garden.

Maintenance and Pruning

Generally untroubled by pests or diseases, the Snowflake Oakleaf Hydrangea is easy to grow and a very satisfying plant to have in your garden. It doesn’t need much attention – removing the dead flower heads back to the first buds is all it needs. You don’t need to prune, just remove any weak or broken branches. Don’t trim in spring or later than July, or flowering will be reduced.

History and Origin of the Snowflake Oakleaf Hydrangea

Oak-leaf Hydrangea, Hydrangea quercifolia grows in damp woodlands all the way from Georgia into Florida and Louisiana. It is the State Wildflower of Alabama, which is also where the variety called SNOWFLAKE originated. Edgar Gaines Aldridge was born into his father’s nursery business, and one day in 1969 he and his father Loren found by chance a unique plant. It is not clear if they found it in the woods near their nursery in Bessemer, Alabama, or in the nursery itself, but this unique plant caught their attention with its huge heads of double flowers. They named it ‘Brido’ and patented it in 1971. That patent, PP# 3,047, expired in 1991, but their trademarked name, Snowflake, continues to be the name it is always known by.

Buying the Snowflake Oakleaf Hydrangea at the Tree Center

The renowned plant expert Michael Dirr is among many who have praised this plant – he said it was the most beautiful of all double oakleaf hydrangeas. With that as a recommendation, don’t hesitate to plant the Snowflake Oakleaf Hydrangea – you will be so glad you did. But order now, because it is always so popular that it sells out almost as soon as we bring stock in.

Growing the Star Gazer Hydrangea

Size and Appearance

The Star Gazer Hydrangea is a deciduous shrub that forms a wide bush, rising 3 or 4 feet tall but spreading out as much as 5 feet wide. It forms a bushy plant, with many stems rising from the base giving it a dome-shape. The rounded leaves are up to 6½ inches long and 5 inches wide, with serrated edges, a tapering point, and a leathery, wrinkled texture. They are rich, dark green, turning yellow in fall. The first blooms appear in June, forming at the ends of wood carried over from the previous year. Later in summer blooms also form on new shoots that develop from spring, so don’t trim the ends of any branches, old or new.

The flower heads are dome-shaped and up to 8 inches across, with a central zone of up to 200 small flowers, and an outer ring of about 8 large flowers. The small flowers are of two types – many very small single flowers colored blue or pink, mixed with some double flowers that are up to ½ inch across. The large outer flowers are almost 2 inches across, double, with 12 to 15 petals making a double flower. All the double flowers, both large and small, have blue or pink petals with a broad border of white. These unique flowers are stunningly beautiful and very, very different from anything you have seen before in a hydrangea. They are consistent and always as described. Flowers remain attractive for about one month, gradually turning greenish.

Using the Star Gazer Hydrangea in Your Garden

This unique plant is perfect for a stand-out specimen in your beds, planted where its full beauty can be seen up-close – no telescope needed to gaze at these stars. Plant it alone, in groups of 3 or 5, or as a row, spacing plants 3 to 4 feet apart. It is also perfect for a container, placed on a terrace, patio or large balcony, where its special form can be fully appreciated.

Hardiness

This plant will grow reliably from zone 5 to zone 9, although in zone 5 it may not keep all its flower buds through winter, but flower from midsummer on. It can also be grown in zone 4, flowering only from mid-summer, but still worthwhile.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

The ideal spot for the Star Gazer Hydrangea is with morning sun and afternoon shade, which will protect the flowers and foliage from sun-scorch, especially in hotter zones. Avoid deep shade, which will reduce flowering. The soil should be rich in organic materials, moist and well-drained. Avoid areas that are often dry, or places that are always wet. It will grow well in all soil types, and in acidic soils, with a pH below 6.0, the flowers will be blue. In higher pH soils and alkaline soils the flowers will be pink – but always beautiful.

Maintenance and Pruning

Water regularly, as this plant is not drought resistant, and water stress will reduce flowering. Pests and diseases are rare, and this is not a difficult plant to grow, despite its exotic appearance. To maximize bloom production it is best to remove flower heads at the first leaf with a bud at its base, as soon as the color begins to fade or green. Bloom heads at the end of the season can be left through fall and winter, adding unique interest to those seasons. Avoid excessive pruning and don’t trim during summer. In spring simply remove any dead stems back to the first strong growth. You can also devote the first season to growing a strong bush, rather than blooms, by pinching the buds out of the ends of every new shoot, as soon as it is a few inches long. This will develop a better-branched plant for future years. You can

History and Origin of the Star Gazer Hydrangea

Japan sent the first mophead hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla) to Europe 150 years ago. They were already well-established in Japanese nurseries, who had several varieties. Ever since then Japan has been a center for breeding, and their varieties are unique and often very different from European and American ones.

The plant breeder Toyokazu Ichie lives in Kakegawa-city, Shizuoka, Japan. He has bred both iris and hydrangeas, and maintains many different varieties for breeding purposes. In 1999 he crossed together two of his own hydrangea varieties and in 2006 he selected a single unique plant from among the seedlings. He named it ‘Kompeito’, and in 2010 he was given a US Plant Patent for it’s unique qualities. We have Ball Ornamentals to thank here in America for making this plant more widely available. They released it with the trademarked name of Star Gazer, part of their Double Delights range of double-flowering hydrangeas of unique beauty.

Buying the Star Gazer Hydrangea at the Tree Center

This unique hydrangea is truly different from anything you have seen before, and truly beautiful. Enjoy a summer and fall of Double Delights with this special plant, but place your order right away, because these kinds of special plants are gone almost as soon as they arrive at our farm.

Growing Sike’s Dwarf Hydrangea

Size and Appearance

Sike’s Dwarf Hydrangea is a variety of the oakleaf hydrangea, but much smaller than most, growing 2 or 3 feet tall, and possibly to 4 feet when in bloom. It is slightly broader than tall, spreading into a low, mounding shrub about 4 feet across. The strong, wiry stems are brown, becoming attractive reddish-brown with peeling bark when they are older. The leaves are very different from other hydrangeas. They are dark green, broad, up to 5 inches long, and divided into several lobes, resembling a giant oak leaf. They have a matte, slightly roughened surface, and turn shades of bronze, maroon-red and dark-purple in late fall. In very warm zones they may remain green and on the bush for most of the winter.

In late spring or early summer flowers appear on side branches sprouting from older stems. These are large and white, formed into rounded to conical clusters about 4 inches long and wide, containing numerous larger white flowers mixed with much smaller, greenish, seed-forming flowers. The flowers stay attractive for many weeks, taking on pink tints as the seasons pass, before becoming greenish. They dead flower heads are an interesting winter feature.

Using Sike’s Dwarf Hydrangea in Your Garden

Most oakleaf hydrangeas grow to about 8 feet tall and wide, so Sike’s Dwarf Hydrangea is perfect when you need a more compact shrub. It is attractive in shrub beds, and looks great along the front of a large bed. Plant it among evergreens for its blooms and for foliage variety. Grow it in structured gardens or in wild-ones – even native gardens – it looks great everywhere. In warm zones it could even be grown as a container plant, in a large shrub, ideal for shady terraces.

Hardiness

Sike’s Dwarf Hydrangea grows best in warmer zones, including the southeast, but it also grows in cooler areas throughout zone 5. In harsh winters in cold zones the flower buds may be destroyed if temperatures fall below minus 10, so it may not flower every year – the leaves are so beautiful they are reason enough to grow it anyway.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Sike’s Dwarf Hydrangea is very adaptable to a wide range of light conditions. It tolerates more direct sun than other hydrangeas, even in hot areas, while also growing in partial shade and even in light full shade. It also tolerates drier soil than the mophead hydrangea, and thrives in almost any well-drained soil. Although tolerant of drier earth once it is established, it does grow best in damper soils, with a regular supply of moisture.

Maintenance and Pruning

Spring mulch is helpful both to conserve moisture and to provide nutrients, although you can also use a regular flowering shrub fertilizer in spring. Pests and diseases don’t normally cause problems. You can remove any dead or weak branches in spring, but pruning is rarely needed and should be avoided, as it may reduce blooming.

History and Origin of Sike’s Dwarf Hydrangea

The Oak-leaf Hydrangea, Hydrangea quercifolia, is a plant that grows wild in North America, from Georgia south into Florida and west into Louisiana. It is the State Wildflower of Alabama, and although it only grows wild in the south, it has proven to be hardy in gardens much further north. The variety called Sike’s Dwarf was discovered in the later decades of the last century, by Sarah Sikes. She owns Windmill Gardens in Luverne, Alabama, and is mostly known as a prolific breeder of daylilies. In this case she branched out into shrubs, and gave us a great dwarf version of her state wildflower to enjoy.

Buying Sike’s Dwarf Hydrangea at the Tree Center

The oak-leaf hydrangea is the least-known of all the hydrangeas, but it deserves to be much more widely grown. Sike’s Dwarf Hydrangea gives you the chance to do that, even if your garden is small, so go for it. You will love the leaves and foliage effect, and adore the beautiful white blooms too. Order now, as attractive and versatile shrubs like this one won’t be around for long at all.

Growing the Limelight Prime® Hydrangea

Size and Appearance

The Limelight Prime® Hydrangea is an upright deciduous shrub that grows rapidly to become 4 to 6 feet tall and wide. It has many thick, strong stems that shoot from low-down, but it can also be easily trained to have one or a few main stems with a higher crown. The bark is light brown, slightly peeling, becoming rougher and more corky with age. This plant is a type of panicle hydrangea, so the leaves are smaller, thinner and lighter green than we see in the mophead hydrangea. They are about 2½ inches long, broad ovals tapering to a point, with boldly serrated edges. They are mid-green, turning clear yellow in fall, with a textured surface and pronounced veins.

Flowers develop at the ends of every new stem, held up well by extra-strong stems. They first show around mid-summer, but this can be earlier or later depending on the climate zone they are in. Flowers are carried in large, conical heads with around 200 flowers per head. These heads are fat, tapering cones, 3 to 4 inches long, but variable in size, depending on pruning techniques. The individual flowers are about 1-inch across, with 4 flat petals, colored in bud and when freshly opened a bright, light chartreuse or lime green, maturing to white-green, and then turning pink and red, particularly when colder temperatures arrive in early fall. The flower heads last for many weeks, and new ones develop on new stems, so this shrub is in bloom from mid-summer to mid-fall, still looking attractive even after the flowers have died.

Using the Limelight Prime® Hydrangea in Your Garden

The wonderful chartreuse tones of the Limelight Prime® Hydrangea fit perfectly into every garden, of any style, and the long bloom period means more bang for your buck in a small space. Plant it at the back of smaller beds, or the middle-zone of larger ones. Grow it among the evergreens around your home, for summer and fall interest. Plant it in a row, spacing plants 3 to 4 feet apart, along a fence or wall, for a great look, or grow it in more natural parts of the garden. From zone 6 on it also makes a great container plant, with lots of interest.

Hardiness

Unlike mophead hydrangeas, panicle hydrangeas like this one grow well even in cold zones, and it thrives in zones 4 and 5. It will also grow in warmer parts of zone 3. The Limelight Prime® Hydrangea grows just about everywhere, to zone 8 in the southeast, and in zone 9 in the northwest. It needs no special winter protection, and because it flowers on new stems any winter damage is of little consequence, and plants still bloom well.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Very adaptable to light, the Limelight Prime® Hydrangea will bloom best, and have the strongest stems, when grown in full sun, although in hotter parts of the country some afternoon shade is beneficial in summer. It is much more sun-tolerant than a typical mophead hydrangea. It will grow rapidly in almost any well-drained soil, but grows best in richer soils, so add organic materials when planting. While it has some drought tolerance, a regular water supply is best, but don’t over-water. This plant needs good drainage, and too much water, especially in winter, or if your soil is clay, is harmful. Loose, open soils give the best results.

Maintenance and Pruning

Usually free of pests or diseases, and both fast-growing and easy to grow, the Limelight Prime® Hydrangea is a trouble-free shrub for all gardens. For the best results, prune is spring, following the guidelines you will find in this blog. Some fertilizer for flowering shrubs, applied after pruning, is also beneficial, and in warmer zones some mulch over the roots is valuable.

History and Origin of the Limelight Prime® Hydrangea

The panicle hydrangea, Hydrangea paniculata, grows in China and Japan, where it can be as much as 20 feet tall in the wild. The original garden plant we know as the PG Hydrangea, (Hydrangea paniculata ‘Grandiflora’), came from Japanese nurseries in the 1870s. for many years it was all we had, but in the last few decades breeders have given us a whole range of these valuable plants. The variety called ‘SMNHPPH’ was created by Timothy Woods of Spring Meadow Nursery in Grand Haven , Michigan. In the fall of 2012 he collected seed from an earlier variety he had created called Pillow Talk® (`SMHPZIND`), a compact bush with white flowers that turned pink. Among his many seedlings he found one with super-strong stems, compact growth and beautiful lime-green flowers. It was patented in 2020 and released by Spring Meadows with the trademark name of Limelight Prime®, under their Proven Winners® brand.

Buying the Limelight Prime® Hydrangea at the Tree Center

It’s great to see this terrific improvement on the ‘Limelight’ Hydrangea become available – a good thing can always be made better. You will love the more compact form of the Limelight Prime® Hydrangea, and how the blooms turn pink in fall, instead of just dull beige. It’s time to update your panicle hydrangeas, and replace any tired, old plants with a new generation. Now is the time, but order today, as everyone wants this plant, and our supplies are very limited.

Growing the Firefly Hydrangea

Size and Appearance

The Firefly Hydrangea is a compact deciduous shrub, typically 4 feet tall and wide, but perhaps a little taller in warm zones. It is fast-growing, soon filling out and putting on a gorgeous display. The large oval leaves – almost 5 inches long – have a slightly leathery, glossy texture with a puckered surface, and bold serrations along the edges. The new leaves are burgundy red, turning deep, rich green as they mature. Even without flowers this would be a valuable foliage plant, and looks so fresh and bold through the spring. Soon, at the tips of every new shoot, you will see a small greenish cluster developing. This quickly expands into a pale-green cluster of flower buds, with the first opening by late spring. As more stems grow up during summer, more buds develop, making this a perpetual-blooming shrub. Fresh flower heads will still be opening in late summer, looking good into the fall.

The flower buds open into a dome-shaped flower head 6 to 7 inches across, carrying well over 100 individual flowers. Each bloom is 2 inches across, with 4 or 5 petals that are so broad and full they form a spiraling whorl, giving this flower a very full look. Each petal is pale yellow – stronger yellow when first opening – edged with a broad band of deep pink. The overall look is bi-color, and totally charming. In alkaline soils, the coloring may be more purple.

Using the Firefly Hydrangea in Your Garden

The compact form of the Firefly Hydrangea makes it perfect for edging beds or growing along a pathway. Plant it beneath large trees to brighten the more shady parts of your garden. Its fresh look is just as beautiful around an older-style home as it is in a modern, city-garden setting. It is also perfect for pots and planters, decorating a shaded terrace, on a porch or greeting you as you reach the front door.

Hardiness

The Firefly Hydrangea grows best, and blooms most continuously, in warmer areas, from zone 6 into zone 9 or even zone 10.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Although hydrangeas are often suggested for shade, they don’t bloom well if there is too much of it. The ideal spot is bright, perhaps with morning sun, but shaded in the afternoon. The bright shade beneath tall trees, or along the foot of a north-facing wall is often also good, but avoid areas with heavy, dense shade. The soil should be rich and moist, but well-drained. Plenty of richer organic materials when planting, and as regular mulch, make a huge difference, and water regularly too. For drier or more sunny conditions we recommend panicle or oak-leaf hydrangeas. The best pink coloring will develop in acidic soils.

Maintenance and Pruning

The Firefly Hydrangea is usually free of pests or diseases and grows best with attention to regular watering, especially during the summer months. Use fertilizers designed for pink hydrangeas, or any fertilizer for acid-loving shrubs, for the best results. This is especially necessary when growing in pots, where regular feeding and using potting soil for acid-loving plants is important. The little extra attention needed will be rewarded many times over with the fabulous results you will see.

Little pruning is needed, and this should be done in mid-summer. Remove spent flower heads back to the first strong pair of buds – these are next year’s flowers. Older plants can have up to one-third of their branches removed to encourage new stems to sprout from the base – look for old, weak branches that are not flowering well. Don’t over-prune, don’t cut back hard to the ground, and never trim new stems as they are growing.

History and Origin of the Firefly Hydrangea

Mophead hydrangeas, Hydrangea macrophylla, caused a sensation when they first arrived in Europe from Japan, and they have been incredibly popular garden plants ever since then – over 150 years ago. Wild plants have tiny, seed-producing (fertile) flowers – you can see a few hidden among the blooms of the Firefly Hydrangea. Most of the blooms, though, are sterile, without seeds, and these plants are called ‘hortensia’ when they have these large heads and large florets. Europe has always been a big center for growing and breeding hydrangeas, and that is where the Firefly Hydrangea was created.

Katrin Meinl is one of the growing number of professional plant breeders, working in Dresden, Germany, for the Küehne Jungpflanzen nursery. In 2004, as part of her work breeding hydrangeas she took pollen from one of her own seedlings and used it to cross-pollinate an older variety called ‘Selma’. In 2006 she selected a plant from among the seedlings and named it ‘Horcos’. In 2014 Katrin and the nursery received European Plant Breeder’s Rights on her plant, and in 2016 she was granted a plant patent in the USA. Her plant is released in America by Star® Roses and Plants with the common name Firefly. This mophead hydrangea should not be confused with a variegated climbing hydrangea (Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris) called ‘Firefly’.

Buying the Firefly Hydrangea at the Tree Center

It is impossible to have too many hydrangeas in your summer garden, and for brightness and unique coloring, you can’t beat the superb blooms of the Firefly Hydrangea. We always try to keep up with the latest and the best, and our regular customers can quickly take all our stock of exciting new plants like this one. Order now – they will all be gone very soon.