Do hydrangeas have a place in the wildlife garden?

Our hydrangea in full bloom following years of weak to no blooming. I believe limbing up a tree to give the plant more sun played a role in the increased bloom.

Look for native hydrangeas and Mountain hydrangeas for best results

Hydrangeas have never been a major player in our gardens.

Sure they look pretty, but that is not a good enough reason to find a home in the garden. More important, however, is the fact that hydrangea have never really been known as great plants to attract wildlife, unless you include deer and rabbits that will nibble on them if given the opportunity.

That said, more and more I’m being attracted to certain varieties of hydrangeas and what they can offer to our landscape and wildlife.

Tiny Tough Stuff is a Mountain hydrangea and, although not native to North America, one that is considered beneficial for pollinators in the garden.

Best hydrangea for wildlife

There is no denying their beauty in the garden, but what value do hydrangea bring to wildlife?

Our native Oak Leaf hydrangea is a plant that will attract pollinators and other beneficial insects as will some of the Mountain lacecap hydrangeas that I have to admit a growing fondness for in the garden.

Hydrangea Tiny Tough Stuff from above showing the florets in the centre.

In fact, I’ve added a couple this year and am thoroughly impressed with their willingness to bloom profusely with the most gorgeous of flowers.

Both are Proven Winners’ hydrangeas. One – Little Quick Fire panicle hydrangea – I am growing in the landscape, and the other – Tiny Tough Stuff – is a dwarf Mountain variety that will spend the summer in a large container where I can admire the flowers up close.

(For more on these two hydrangeas, check out the Proven Winners site here.)

These newer hydrangea will join a more mature Climbing Hydrangea (Hydrangea anomala) that has found a home on a trellis after an old shed it was growing on had to be taken down, and a very mature hydrangea that hadn’t bloomed in ten years until this year when it has transformed our patio with a mass of magnificent pink and blue blooms (See image at top of page).

If you live in a cold climate and have difficulty sometimes getting your Hydrangeas to bloom, you might want to check out Hydrangeas in the North Getting Blooms in the Colder Climates.

According to Hydrangea.com, most hydrangeas provide little pollinator value - “but some varieties, especially those with lacecap flowers, are a haven for pollinators in summer.”

The website recommends Oakleaf Hydrangea (hydrangea quercifola) native to Southwestern United States woodland areas. The panicles of these large hydrangeas are have easily accessible fertile florets filled with pollen and nectar that attract bees, butterflies and other pollinators.

Our climbing hydrangea holds a prominent spot as you enter our backyard.

In fall, the plants’ seeds are eaten by songbirds including cardinals and a variety of sparrows.

Mountain hydrangeas, (Hydrangea serrate) although native to South Korea and Japan, can also be attractive to pollinators, who are attracted too the soft blue to pale pink blooms from summer through fall.

Smooth hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescent) is native to the Eastern United States and feature large blooms that can come in mop or lace cap types. Lace cap smooth hydrangea varieties are particularly attractive to bees and butterflies and the flower seeds are eaten by birds and other wildlife.

Best hydrangeas for wildlife?

Little Quick fire hydrangea in late June showing off its blooms. The Quick Fire hydrangeas are among the first hydrangea to bloom in the summer.

Mt. Cuba Center is non-profit botanical garden located in Hockessin, Delaware, near Wilmington, where it features an impressive woodland gardens that produce some of the most spectacular displays of wildflowers in the mid-Atlantic region. The centre studied a number of hydrangea and their benefits to wildlife. (complete study here)

In the comprehensive study, they found that the hydrangea arborescent ‘Haas’ Halo’ performed the best overall. It grows in a huge range from US zones 3a to 9b, and can grow to about 6 ft in height and about 5 ft. wide.

“It’s overflowing with desirable ornamental qualities — including great vigor, massive flower heads, and good sun tolerance. This selection of wild hydrangea is also very popular with pollinating insects. ‘Haas’ Halo’ is a shrub that can be seamlessly incorporated into almost any garden design and we recently planted it in Mt. Cuba Center’s newest garden, the Woodland Glade,” the report noted.

In general, the report noted that lace cap hydrangea blooms attract more pollinators like native bees, butterflies and hummingbirds, while mophead hydrangeas tend to attract more beetles, bugs and flies.