They will attach themselves to a tree, brick, even vinyl with their little "feet". Mine has attached itself to the smooth boards of the fence, which is what I wanted it to do, so I'm okay with it. I don't remember where I read that it can kill a tree, but I know I did. Research changes though, so maybe that thinking has gone by the wayside. It could also be problematic if the wrong tree is chosen. Hydrangeas can get huge (eventually) so a large, sturdy tree is needed for support. As usual, choosing the right location for the plant is the first step to success. Evidently, a Maple should be the last choice as the support.
"Be advised that the aerial roots are very tenacious, clinging to whatever structure is nearby. They also leave a residue that is difficult to remove, which should be considered if planting next to brick, viny siding or wood. Experts caution against planting next to a maple tree, as the climbing hydrangea will compete with the maple tree for moisture."
Food for pre-planting thought ;)
Anyone with CLIMBING HYDRANGEA experience?
And I had someone ask me that question on Sunday because we've all fought with Ivy here.
I definitely agree that it needs a tree that can withstand it's weight because they grow so long. It's getting pretty common, though in the Pacific NW to plant Hydrangeas going up fir trees. And we do love our trees. I'll ask an arborist, next chance I get and see if I can get a more definitive answer. I know that no one wants to lose a tree, for sure.
And I hadn't heard of or seen the residue. That's interesting. I'm not a fan of having anything grow on buildings or fences. I don't want to invite bugs or encourage moisture or have to cut down the vine so I can maintain things.
I'm hoping the fence and the hydrangea out live me, I KNOW the ivy will ^_^
Yes! ^_^
I have mine to climb up a poplar tree.
I am so delighted we actually have several buds on my climbing hydrangea!!! Can not believe! But I am thrilled. It has really grown quite alot.... Will post the first pictures when it opens. Am so happy! Ronna
yeah! I'll have to look at mine and see if there are any buds. I have flowers on my shooting star
Is that the hydrangea also known as 'Fuji Waterfall'?
WOW! I looked that up and it's beautiful. Mine does not have the pink in the middle.
I'm waiting for mine to bloom. It spent a long time in the mail to me, from a friend in CA a few years ago, and just having it alive and well is a miracle. The one branch I layered took very well so eventually I'll have two of them blooming. I have to remind myself that patience is a virtue.
I know what you mean. Mine is small too, but I think it will be fine once I put it in the ground. I received late in the fall last year and worried about it being too late to plant because of the cold weather, so I kept it in a container. May be next year we can trade cuttings.... I'll see if I can get one to root once it's done blooming.
We probably have the same exact plant. Check the photo and see the sign that says "Shooting Star". It's at the left side of the plant.
I don't have a sign. It came from a gardening friend.
Please read yotedog's explanation here (just to make it more confusing):
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/107623/
Looks like we may never know what we have.
As for using the climbing hydrangea as a groundcover, this is what mine looks like:
is yours variegated? mine is not.
Yes, it is. The name is 'Miranda'.
Yeah, Shooting Star and Fuji Waterfall are the same for all practical purposes.
I saw a post last year in which someone said that they found one in the floral section of Whole Foods. I've been looking at floral sections of grocery stores since then and haven't seen it. Then our local expensive nursery had gallon pots for $50 or something crazy like that. Two or three weeks ago I finally found one in our local QFC (now owned by Fred Meyer) grocery stores for $20. It's growing beautifully.
So keep an eye out at your local grocery store floral department for these at a good price.
I actually buy a good bit of my plants from the grocery store. Sometime, they don't sell as fast and they will put them on clearance - for really good price! Also, I like Lowe's (home improvement store), they have excellent clearance section.
Mine came from a California supermarket!
I got my climbing hydrangea at Lowe's last year on clearance, a 3 gallons container for about $3. I was able to split out 3 plants from it.
Hey, Pirl - I think my plant tag is exactly the same as yours . . .
Probably a west coast distributor.
Looks like a national supplier of the same Hydrangea to non-gardening store channels. That's certainly not the tag you'd get from a nursery.
I'm surprised that there are so many of these out there and that the tag is 'exactly' the same between NY and WA. Must be a good seller and a relatively easy-to-care-for Hydrangea. That's good to hear . . .
Mine was sent to me by a California friend who bought it in a supermarket out there so there is no NY connection except that I have it as a gift from my friend.
I've never seen it in any nursery here in NY.
Ah, I missed that. OK. Now your earlier comment makes sense to me. :-)
I bought my climber from a local store here called Hardings friendly market!!! 20.00. The buds are getting bigger. I do not even remember what color it is... How long until they open? Now I guess I will ahve to wait some more... Good night Ronna
Here is the clematis I started last year. Three blooms on it so far.
And of course the clematis tag is missing. I am hoping it will grow into
the hydrangea and bloom side by side with the hydrangea.
Here they are together.
that is pretty
My buds are still growing really slow at opening... Can not wait. Ronna
These climbing hydrangeas certainly keep a person waiting. Mine has about a half dozen blooms but they are all at the bottom of the vine. I figure at this rate, in five years it will be 30 feet high with some blooms at eye level. I better take my vitamins so I'm alive to see it :)
I waited 3 years for the first bloom.
Taking my vitamins, too, Louise. Looks like I'll need them.
OK, you guys, so tell me how this happens, last year I bought one of these plants in a "gallon" can, what the nurseries call gallon, and it was covered with blooms. Because it was pot bound? So, if that is the case, what is the answer to one in the ground?
A garden the size of a 1 gallon pot???
LOL, guess so. submurging a pot? Root pruning?
Maybe they fed it a fertilizer for bloom.
I usually only use a balanced fertilizer.
In the garden I am more interested in developing roots,
so that the plants do well on their own with the water mother nature provides.
Those hoses get heavy :)
SO very pretty!
For maybe 5 or 6 years, my climbing hydrangea just grew lots of lush foliage but never bloomed. Last year it finally started to bloom. Looks like it's going to bloom annually now. Mine is not planted under a tree, BTW, and I know there are adequate nutrients in the area as I have azaleas, a regular hydrangea, clematis, roses, and iris all blooming quite nicely around it. I'm guessing it (my climbing hydrangea) just needed to reach a certain age and maturity to start blooming, sort of like some varieties of wisteria.
BTW, there are a few different varieties of climbing hydrangea. They probably don't all have identical behavior and characteristics. For instance, some varieties may grow faster and/or start blooming sooner than others.
I would love to get the variegated ones. I hardly ever see the climbling hydrangeas here. Just lucky last year.