Tough hydrangea actually blooms! In fact twice a season
Posted on: January 7, 2016 | Written By: Doug Oster |
‘Tuff Stuff Red’ will bloom in the late spring and again in the fall. Photo courtesy Proven Winners ColorChoice Flowering Shrubs
One of the joys of an event like the Mid Atlantic Nursery Trade Show is stumbling on to interesting plant introductions.
Josh Vokal from Proven Winners ColorChoice Flowering Shrubs was happy to show off a cool hydrangea. ‘Tuff Stuff Red’ is a mountain hydrangea (Hydrangea serrata) that will flower after a hard winter.
The normal mophead hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) can be fickle when it comes to blooming. Often times the buds freeze out during the coldest part of the winter.
“The biggest advantage with this plant is that has better bud hardiness, Vokal says. It’s going to bloom much more reliably in borderline climates where a normal macrophylla would not be able to overwinter.
It’s also a rebloomer, flowering a second time in the fall.
‘Tuff Stuff Red’ also has beautiful dark red foliage at the end of the season. It’s nice for small spots as it only gets about three and a half feet tall and wide.
“It’s going to look really nice in the garden spring to fall,” he added.