Evergreen Hydrangea Relative

18 years ago

A local gardening "personality" recently did a TV spot on Dichroa febrifuga, an Asian evergreen cousin to the more familiar hydrangea. Since that TV feature, my nursery has been deluged in calls for the "evergreen hydrangea".

This is not a very common plant and my first exposure to it was at Heronswood Nursery a number of years ago where the most striking feature was the bright blue to lavender berries that appear after the flowers fade. It is becoming much more common in my area, but is worth searching out in other parts of the country where it will be hardy (zone 7 or above).

Definitely a shade lover, this will not tolerate much sun even here in the mildly sunny PNW. Flowers resemble hydrangeas to some degree, but tend to have narrower petals and appear more star-shaped. And it is truly evergreen, but the foliage has a much lighter texture than most ther broadleaved evergreen shrubs. As with macrophyllas, the flower color is influenced to some degree by soil acidity - more acidic = more intensely blue. Less acidic soils will generate flowers in a pale lavender-blue hue. A relatively compact shrub, this may be worth growing as a container specimen in colder climates, where it can be brought in for winter protection.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:996918}}

Comments (4)

donna1952
18 years ago
Garden Gal, Thanks for the information about this evergreen hydrangea type. I saw the show where Cisco was salivating over this plant, but didn't get a chance to write down its name. Do you have an idea of its price per plant? According to the show, this plant came from Peru or somewhere near there, and was cultivated for our market by a friend of Cisco's, but there was no mention of where the plants are available. You mentioned a nursery, but not its location.
Thanks again, Donna
Creech444
18 years ago
A local nursery here in Atlanta has it too.

I was googling for pics and WOW they actually make a medicinal rum out of it.

Got to love any Hydrangea you can actually make into an alcholic beverage.
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morz8 - Washington Coast
18 years ago
Donna, call around and you may find it close to home; I've seen it at Wells in Medina, also Bainbridge Gardens. Or Heronswood (again, Bainbridge) is open specific dates or by appointment, also mail order. Forest Farm has it listed...www.forestfarm.com (Williams, OR, mail order)

Here is a link that might be useful: Heronswood
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
Original Author
18 years ago
It is available at Emery's Garden in Lynnwood, but since the show, they've been moving fast. We have more on order.

Don't know where Ciscoe got the idea this is from Peru, but he does come out with some amazingly odd pieces of info now and then..............this plant is native to SE Asia and has been in commerce for sometime, athough not widely available.