PlantFiles: Evergreen Hydrangea
Hydrangea seemannii

This plant has beautiful foliage year round. In the spring, leaves are pale green and shiny. Foliage isn't typical hydrangea foliage but the leaves are thicker and smoother and longer than wide.

Here in zone 9b the flower buds and flowerettes begin appearing in the middle of May. This is a very slow growing shrubby vine and is said to average only one foot a year. Mine has been getting shrubby as well as getting gradually taller but it's height is increasing far less than 1 foot per year but the plants are only having their third spring in my garden. Tends to droop in the middle of hot days and will always droop if allowed to get dry. I grow mine against an East wall with some shade from the south.

Woody, evergreen climber, clinging by aerial roots, with elliptic to lance-shaped, leathery, mid-green leaves that grow to 6" long. In summer, bears greenish white ferile flowers surrounded by white sterile flowers in domed corymbs that grow to 6" across. Native of Mexico. Zones 8-10.