Hydrangea serrata 'Woodlander'

Hydrangea serrata 'Woodlander' is a Woodlanders introduction with a story, a compact, small-leaved mountain hydrangea grown from seed collected at the Chollipo Arboretum in Korea and selected here for real garden charm. Daintier than the big bigleaf hydrangeas, this is a refined shrub of two to four feet, carrying flat lacecap flower heads of clear blue in acid soil, ringed with showy sterile florets around a center of tiny fertile ones. The serrated leaves take on a handsome purplish cast that deepens toward autumn.

Like all the mountain hydrangeas, the color of the flowers answers to the soil: blue where the ground is acid, as it is in the Woodlanders beds, and shifting toward pink where the soil turns alkaline. The lacecap form is more than pretty, for the ring of fertile florets at the heart of each head draws bees and other pollinators that the sterile mophead hydrangeas leave hungry. Bloom comes in early summer, on wood formed the year before.

This little hydrangea has grown well for us in semi-shade, in well-drained, acid soil with steady moisture and a bit of irrigation through dry spells. Hardier and more sun-forgiving than the bigleaf kinds, the mountain hydrangeas still bloom on old wood, so prune only right after flowering, and site the plant where late frosts are less likely to nip the buds. In autumn the small leaves flush red and purple, a quiet last act.

Set Hydrangea serrata 'Woodlander' in a shaded or part-shaded border, a woodland edge, a foundation planting, or a large container, where the blue lacecaps and purplish foliage can be enjoyed at close range. Compact and well-mannered, the plant suits small gardens and mixed shade plantings, and the fertile florets keep the bees coming all through the bloom. For a refined, pollinator-friendly hydrangea with a real Woodlanders pedigree, this seed-grown selection is a quiet gem.