Hydrangea Family: Hydrangeaceae

We love these family members in our gardens! These shrubs usually have large, dense clusters of showy flowers. Garden varieties have names like PeeGee, Annabelle, oakleaf, mophead, lace cap and come in blues, pinks, whites, pale green, and cream. We love them all! The promiscuous blooms on the outside of the cluster are often sterile, with the action taking place at the center of the cluster. Individual flowers may have four to five petals and the flowers that aren’t sterile may have numerous stamens. Many species are native to eastern, southern, and western states. And many have been “doctored” to meet the demands of gardeners like myself. The family also includes mock orange.