Hydrangea, the name, comes from the Greek words "hydro" or water, and "angeion," or vase -- water vase. It is not really descriptive of how the flowers can be used; the name actually relates to the shape of the plant's seed capsule. Fossils show that hydrangeas grew in North America 40-70 million years ago and up to 25 million years ago in Asia.

While Europeans, notably the French, have put the plant "on the map" in the last century, they did it with imported plants as the hydrangea is native only to the North American and Asian continents! Hydrangea arborescens and Hydrangea quercifolia are native to America; all others (mainly macrophylla, paniculata and petiolaris) are native to Asia.

The first hydrangea in Europe was Hydrangea arborescens, imported into England in 1739. The plant was found growing wild in the colonies (in Pennsylvania) by a botanist named Peter Collinson. The plant was popular immediately and quickly spread from England throughout The Continent.

At the Bickelhaupt Arboretum there are 17 different varieties of Hydrangea. They are located on the south east side of the collections, ranging from just south of the Herb Garden to the Entrance Area. My favorite is angeion Hydrangea macrophylla 'Bailmer,' Endless Summer Hydrangea, which the Arboretum received as a gift from Bailey Nursery (who developed the plant in 2003), a year before it was available to the general public.

Endless Summer is a mop-head type hydrangea with the unique ability to bloom constantly on both old and new wood, even if buds have been damaged by cold weather. The result is a plant that provides beautiful flowers all summer long. It is unusually hardy compared to other hydrangea macrophylla. The flowers grow up to 8" in diameter, with pink blooms in alkaline soils and blue blooms in acidic soils.

Of interest are the wonderful names (cultivar and common) of the Hydrangea here at the Bickelhaupt: 'Annabelle,' 'Miranda,' 'Little Lamb,' 'Snow Queen,' 'Limelight,' 'White Dome, ''Brussel's Lace,' and the newest one this year, Hydrangea macrophylla 'Blushing Bride' with a common name of Endless Summer Blushing Bride Hydrangea.

A plant, which blooms throughout the summer, provides delight in bouquets, can be dried for year-round enjoyment and can be upright or weeping, is it any wonder that the hydrangea is among the popular of garden plants!