Hydrangea serrata 'Woodlander' is a very hardy soul, indeed

I've posted at another garden website several times over the past couple of years about how winter-hardy my 'Woodlander' hydrangeas (lacecap) have been in the western 'burbs of Chicago, and I'd also like to share some of my experiences with Dave's readers. Like many folks' hydrangeas during the 2-week warm spell earlier this spring (or was it still winter?), my Woodlanders started to leaf out. (I've only ever provided them with some hardwood mulch mounded up around their bases for winter protection, and they've all bloomed very well for me each of the previous 3 springs since I've had them, whereas H. serrata 'Bluebird' and macrophylla 'Blue Wave' require extensive winter protection to get them to bloom in my yard.)

When the warm spell was followed by several nights of 20 deg F, you know the story--the emerging leaves on the Woodlanders were zapped, along with the new growth on lots of other plants in my yard (non-natives and some natives, too). But those Woodlanders continue to amaze me--their canes are starting to leaf out again, some all the way to the tips, and the buds that had not yet opened when the cold snap occurred are opening up now (and we did hit -15F this winter). This morning I took a closer look at them, and there are even flower buds developing on many of those canes. As I quote from the old Timex watch ads, those Woodlanders "take a lickin', and keep on tickin'." Now, however, protective cover from any light frosts will definitely be required--none forecast for the next 10 days, though.

Hey, how about a pic of the recovery?

Well now I for one am very happy to know this. I love the lacecap hydrangeas but most are pretty miffy here as they are with you. We are z 5b too, lowest temp here last winter was -12F. I think in general it may even be slightly warmer here on average than for you, since most winters don't go below -10. Still, I find that Bluebird is tough to get to bloom here, more often than not. I have had fair luck with 'Graystone' (at least, I think that's it...) but it is not always reliable either. I know that all these plants are color /pH dependent. What color does this bloom for you? And what is your soil pH? My impression of your area is that the soils are alkaline (they are here too mostly, though I am on an island of acid sand).

Also would like to know where you got Woodlander from (there is a nursery by that name, isn't there?).

I really like posts like this, gardeners sharing things that they think other gardeners might not know and might want to -- one of the great values of forums like this. Thanks for sharing.

Snapple, I'll see what I can do about a photo.

David, H. serrata ‘Woodlander’ was an introduction (grown from seed from Korea) by Woodlanders Nursery in Aiken, SC, and it is still listed in their website catalog. I purchased mine (grown by Monrovia) at the one nursery in my area that I know carries it (Sid's, located in Palos Hills and in Bolingbrook, nearer my home in Naperville).

Woodlander’s lacecap flowers are 2-4” in diameter and have relatively fewer of the showy sterile sepals than does H. serrata ‘Bluebird’ (more commonly seen around here). I find the growth habit of Woodlander to be denser and more compact than that of Bluebird, but both are really stunning in flower. I do not find Woodlander to be floppy in the least--the canes are strong.

In my alkaline soils, the showy sepals on Woodlander and Bluebird are pink, but the much smaller fertile flowers are a sparkling combination of pink and purple--almost jewel-like. In acidic soils, according to Dirr, the sepals should be bluer, but the fertile flowers will be purple. With respect to size, my Woodlanders are currently 2-2.5' tall and wide. I've had Bluebirds in the yard for many more years, and they have never exceeded 3.5-4' in height and width. As a benchmark, my Nikko Blues max out at about 4 feet. According to some folks in Alabama, Woodlander maxes out for them at about 4’ in height and a whole lot wider.