North Carolina Botanical Garden

Plant Index

Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Genus:
Family:

Hydrangea arborescens

Hydrangea arborescens L.

smooth hydrangea, wild hydrangea, sevenbark

Synonym(s): Hydrangea arborescens var. oblonga, Hydrangea arborescens var. sterilis
Cultivar(s): Annabelle, Bounty, Haas-Halo

Hydrangea arborescens (Smooth Hydrangea)

Image ID: 7862
Image by: Parkins, Grant Morrow
Image Collection: NCBG Digital Library

PLANT INDEX

ID_PLANT: HYAR
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Hydrangea arborescens
Include in WOTAS: 0
Publish to Web: 1
Last Modified: 2017-05-14

CULTIVAR INDEX

Cult_id	Cultivar_name	Action
190	Annabelle	View
1371	Bounty	View
2	Haas-Halo	View

GENUS INDEX

GENUS CODE: HYDRA
GENUS SCIENTIFIC: Hydrangea
GENUS AUTHORITY: L.
GENUS COMMON: Hydrangea
GENUS SUMMARY: A genus of about 45 species, shrubs and lianas, of e. North America and e. Asia. Molecular analyses have long suggested that Hydrangea as usually interpreted is polyphyletic (Soltis, Xiang, & Hufford 1995; Samain, Wanke, & Goetghebeur 2010) and should be circumscribed more broadly to include other genera in tribe Hydrangeeae that are phylogenetically embedded (including, in our area, Decumaria); this approach has been further developed and formalized by De Smet et al. (2015), an approach followed here (generic and sectional circumscriptions follow De Smet et al. 2015). See Dirr (2004) and van Gelderen & van Gelderen (2004) for information on cultivated hydrangeas.
GENUS IDENTIFICATION: Identification notes: Hydrangea barbara is readily distinguished from the other opposite-leaved, woody vines in our flora (Gelsemium, Trachelospermum, Lonicera, Bignonia, Campsis, and Clematis) by its leaves (simple, ovate, and usually serrate) and climbing structures (adventitious roots).
GENUS REFERENCES: Freeman in FNA (in prep.); McGregor in FNA (in prep.); Pilatowski (1982)=Z; McClintock (1957)=Y; Hufford in Kubitzki (2004).

FAMILY INDEX

FAMILY CODE: HYDRAN
FAMILY SCIENTIFIC: Hydrangeaceae
FAMILY AUTHORITY: Dumortier 1829
FAMILY COMMON: Hydrangea Family
FAMILY SUMMARY: A family of about 17 genera and 190-220 species, trees, shrubs, vines, and herbs, primarily north temperate. As here interpreted, the family Hydrangeaceae includes two well-marked groups, the Hydrangeae (including Decumaria and Hydrangea) and the Philadelpheae (including Deutzia and Philadelphus). This group has been shown by molecular research to be unrelated to the Saxifragaceae, and to have its closest affinities to the Loasaceae, Cornaceae, and Nyssaceae (Xiang et al. 2002; Soltis, Xiang, & Hufford 1995; Morgan & Soltis 1993).
FAMILY REFERENCE: Freeman in FNA (in prep.); Spongberg (1972); Soltis, Xiang, & Hufford (1995); Morgan & Soltis (1994); Xiang et al. (2002); Hufford in Kubitzki (2004).

NCBG DESCRIPTIVES

INTRO:
STEMS:
LEAVES:
INFLORESCENCE:
FLOWERS:
FRUITS:
COMMENTS: These shrubs grow on shady, often moist, roadbanks and cliffs of North Carolina mountains and upper piedmont regions. The white, showy, 3-4 lobed calyx of the outer, sterile flowers is about 3/4 inch across. The compact center of the inflorescence is made up of small fertile flowers. The under surface of the leaves of various subspecies of this spreading shrub may be white, gray, or green.
HEIGHT: 3-5 ft.

DURATION: Perennial
HABIT: Shrub

LEAF ARRANGEMENT:
LEAF COMPLEXITY:
LEAF RETENTION: Deciduous

FLORAL CHARACTERISTICS
SYMMETRY:
BLOOM TIME: May-Jul

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
			x	x	x	x	x

BLOOM COLOR: White flowers

White	Red	Pink	Orange	Yellow	Green	Blue	Lavender	Purple	Violet	Brown	Not Applicable
x					x

FRUITING PERIOD:

DISTRIBUTION
HABITAT TYPE:
NATIVE RANGE: eastern United States

HORTICULTURAL
Plant Sale Text: Smooth Hydrangea is a small deciduous shrub that bears numerous flowers in showy cymes. Its flowers change color over time, progressing from pale green to creamy white to brown. Mature plants eventually develop handsome exfoliating bark that is attractive year-round. This native species grows best when it is planted in moist, well-drained soil in part shade. It is found growing in rich woods and on shady rock ledges in the piedmont and mountains. The bark and leaves were used by the Cherokee tribe for medicinal uses.

Bloom Table Text:

NCBG Location:

Cultural Notes:

SOIL MOISTURE: Dry, Average
LIGHT EXPOSURE: Sun, Part Shade, Shade
MINIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 3
MAXIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 9
GERMINATION CODE:
WILDLIFE VALUE: Bee Friendly, Butterfly Friendly
DEER RESISTANCE:

GRIM COLLECTIONS

Coll_id	Project	Collection date	Collector	Action
103	HORT	2008-01-01	Poythress	View
2657	NPMD	2022-10-18	Searles	View

GRIM ACCESSIONS

acc_id	acc_num	acc_dt	coll_id	Action
102	2012-0074	2012-11-13	103	View
887	1985-0561			View
1312	1986-1087			View
2080	1986-1879			View
3493	1991-0143			View
5045	1995-0164			View
6674	1996-0325			View
8189	2004-0205	2006-05-19		View
8303	2005-0020	2005-03-17		View
8409	2005-0231	2005-08-07		View
8415	2005-0237	2005-08-07		View

GRIM PLANTINGS

plt_num	acc_id	loc_num	pers_num	inst_dt	Action
161	102	79	Liloia	2012-10-12	View
1652	887	177	NCBG staff	1978-11-09	View
2285	1312	83	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
3461	2080	73	NCBG staff	1967-12-31	View
5748	3493	83	NCBG staff	1989-01-01	View
7464	5045	202	NCBG staff	1992-01-01	View
9434	6674	8	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
11452	8189	81	NCBG staff	1967-12-31	View

USDA PLANTS DATABASE

USDA Symbol: HYAR
USDA Common Name: Wild Hydrangea
Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (I)
Distribution: USA (AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MO, MS, NC, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, VA, WV), CAN (NB, NS)
Duration: Perennial
Growth Habit: Shrub

NATIONAL WETLAND INDICATOR STATUS

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:	UPL				FACU	FACU		FACU	FACU

This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2016 National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.3 (Lichvar, R.W., D.L. Banks, W.N. Kirchner, and N.C. Melvin. 2016. The National Wetland Plant List: 2016 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2016-30: 1-17. Published 28 April 2016. ISSN 2153 733X). Regions: AGCP-Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain, AK-Alaska, AW-Arid West, CB-Caribbean, EMP-Eastern Mountains and Piedmont, GP-Great Plains, HI-Hawaii, MW-Midwest, NCNE-Northcentral and Northeast, WMCV-Western Mountains, Valleys & Coast

WEAKLEY FLORA

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Hydrangea arborescens
COMMON NAME: Smooth Hydrangea, Sevenbark
SYNONYMY: [= FNA, K, Pa, S, Va, W, WH3, Z; = H. arborescens ssp. arborescens - Mo, RAB, Y; = H. arborescens var. arborescens - C, G, WV; > H. arborescens var. arborescens - F; > H. arborescens var. oblonga Torrey & A. Gray - F]
PHENOLOGY: May-Jul.
HABITAT: Forests, especially around rock outcrops and along streambanks.
COMMENTS: NJ, s. NY, OH, IN, IL, MO, and se. KS south to e. NC, c. SC, c. GA, Panhandle FL, s. AL, LA, and OK.
RANGE MAP: Hydrangea arborescens.png

Key to Map Symbols

ABOUT FAMILY (Weakley Flora)
Hydrangeaceae Dumortier 1829 (Hydrangea Family)
SUMMARY: A family of about 17 genera and 190-220 species, trees, shrubs, vines, and herbs, primarily north temperate. As here interpreted, the family Hydrangeaceae includes two well-marked groups, the Hydrangeae (including Decumaria and Hydrangea) and the Philadelpheae (including Deutzia and Philadelphus). This group has been shown by molecular research to be unrelated to the Saxifragaceae, and to have its closest affinities to the Loasaceae, Cornaceae, and Nyssaceae (Xiang et al. 2002; Soltis, Xiang, & Hufford 1995; Morgan & Soltis 1993).
REFERENCE: Freeman in FNA (in prep.); Spongberg (1972); Soltis, Xiang, & Hufford (1995); Morgan & Soltis (1994); Xiang et al. (2002); Hufford in Kubitzki (2004).

ABOUT GENUS (Weakley Flora)
Hydrangea L. (Hydrangea)
SUMMARY: A genus of about 45 species, shrubs and lianas, of e. North America and e. Asia. Molecular analyses have long suggested that Hydrangea as usually interpreted is polyphyletic (Soltis, Xiang, & Hufford 1995; Samain, Wanke, & Goetghebeur 2010) and should be circumscribed more broadly to include other genera in tribe Hydrangeeae that are phylogenetically embedded (including, in our area, Decumaria); this approach has been further developed and formalized by De Smet et al. (2015), an approach followed here (generic and sectional circumscriptions follow De Smet et al. 2015). See Dirr (2004) and van Gelderen & van Gelderen (2004) for information on cultivated hydrangeas.
REFERENCE: Freeman in FNA (in prep.); McGregor in FNA (in prep.); Pilatowski (1982)=Z; McClintock (1957)=Y; Hufford in Kubitzki (2004).

HERBARIUM RESOURCES

SERNEC: Find Hydrangea arborescens in Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)
UNC SERNEC: Find Hydrangea arborescens in University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Herbarium - Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)

WEB RESOURCES

USDA: Find Hydrangea arborescens in USDA Plants
NPIN: Find Hydrangea arborescens in NPIN Database
FNA: Find Hydrangea arborescens in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Hydrangea arborescens

IMAGE USE RECORDS

ID IMAGE: 7862 - Primary Image FloraQuest Plant Detail Page (Landscape Preferred)
ID IMAGE1: 7862 - Primary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE2: 7863 - Secondary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE3: 7862 - Primary Image Plant Sale Sign (Landscape Only)
ID IMAGE4: 0 - Primary Image New Plant Sale Label (Portrait Only)