It's hard to name another genus of shrub that's more beloved by gardeners than Hydrangea. But with the overwhelming popularity of Asian species, like the big blue mop heads and summer into fall Hydrangea paniculata types, where do hydrangeas fit in as more and more gardeners favor native plants, and especially ones that support pollinators and other beneficial insects?







The native plant experts at Mt. Cuba Center in Delaware have just released a report on the results of a five-year trial, that focused mostly on an important native species, Hydrangea arborescens, and what both gardeners and pollinators have to say about its range of cultivars. 




The last time Sam Hoadley visited the show, we compared the dizzying range of cultivars and species of echinacea. Today's topic is hydrangeas. Sam is the manager of horticultural research at Mt. Cuba Center, a long time native plant garden and research site, where he trialed 29 species in cultivars. Before joining Mt. Cuba, he was lead horticulturist for Longwood Gardens Hillside Garden, and he received his degree in sustainable horticulture from University of Vermont.