Bigleaf Hydrangea, French Hydrangea, Mophead 'Lemon Daddy'

This gets an "A" just for the foliage, but it can be finicky.

In zone 6, this suffers heavy winter dieback and subsequentl...Read Morey won't bloom much. It also grows about 30" in a single season.

The waxy leaves aren't as rigid as its Big Daddy parent, and easily droop in the sun, but will always rebound the next day provided the plant is hydrated.

But back to the foliage - it's guaranteed to light up that dark corner of your beds, and any light pink blooms you get are a bonus!

The jury is still out on this beauty. I bought four plants last fall, two were placed on the east side, and two were placed on the west ...Read Moreside. As of 6/10/06, one of the west wide plants expired this week and the one remaining is only 2-3" high. The east side plants are about 8" high and look healthy but the growth is so slow , it looks like I will have to wait until next year to actually see them from the road. Beautifully colored leaves, but they seem too fragile for a busy garden.

Another great hydrangea from Saul Nurseries, same huge flowers and thick stems, should be available in the Fall of 2005.