Smooth hydrangea facts for kids
Hydrangea arborescens, often called the smooth hydrangea or wild hydrangea, is a type of flowering plant in the Hydrangeaceae family. It's a small to medium-sized shrub that loses its leaves in winter (which means it's deciduous). This plant can grow up to 3 meters (about 10 feet) tall and is originally from the eastern United States. People sometimes call it "sevenbark" because of its unique bark.
Quick facts for kids Smooth hydrangea |
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Hydrangea
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arborescens
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Contents
What Makes Smooth Hydrangea Special?
Flowers and Fruit
The flowers of the smooth hydrangea grow in flat-topped clusters called a corymb. The showy, white flowers that you might think of are often missing or very small, usually less than 1 centimeter (about 0.4 inches) across. This plant blooms from May to July. After the flowers, it produces many small, ribbed brown fruits that are about 2 millimeters long.
Leaves
The leaves are quite big, usually 8 to 18 centimeters (about 3 to 7 inches) long. They grow in pairs directly across from each other on the stem. The edges of the leaves are saw-toothed (serrated), and their shape is like an oval (ovate). Like the rest of the plant, the leaves fall off in the autumn. The underside of the leaves is mostly smooth or has very tiny hairs, which makes them look green. These tiny hairs are mostly found along the main vein of the leaf.
Bark and Growth
The bark of the smooth hydrangea is quite interesting! It tends to peel off in several thin layers, and each layer can have a different color. This is why one of its common names is "sevenbark." This plant can also spread quickly by sending out underground stems called stolons, which helps it form large groups of plants.
How Smooth Hydrangea is Classified
For a while, two other types of hydrangeas, the ashy hydrangea (Hydrangea cinerea) and the silverleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea radiata), were thought to be just different versions of the smooth hydrangea. However, most plant scientists now agree that they are completely separate species.
Where Smooth Hydrangea Grows
The smooth hydrangea is found all over the eastern United States. You can see it from southern New York down to the tip of Florida, and west to Oklahoma and Kansas. It usually prefers moist soil in forests, especially under the shade of hardwood trees. You can often spot it along woodland roadsides and near streams. It's very common in the Delaware River Valley and in the Appalachian Mountains.
This plant is also a special food source for the caterpillars of the hydrangea sphinx moth.
Uses of Smooth Hydrangea
Gardening and Decoration
This beautiful native shrub is often grown in gardens because it's very attractive. A popular type of smooth hydrangea called 'Annabelle' is well-known. It's one of the best hydrangeas for cold weather. In the United Kingdom, 'Annabelle' has even won an important award for garden plants called the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. Another type, 'Grandiflora', has large, round flowers that look like snowballs.
Traditional Medicine
Long ago, Native American people used the root of the smooth hydrangea as a medicine. Later, early settlers also used it. They believed it could help treat problems like kidney and bladder stones.
Gallery
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Annabelle Hydrangea Bloom. Hydrangea arborescens.
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Hills-of-Snow Hydrangea "Grandiflora"
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Wild Hydrangea v. Annabelle
Hydrangea arborescens -
Flowers of Smooth Hydrangea
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Wild Hydrangea Flowers
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Images for kids
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Leaf adaxial side.
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Leaf abaxial side.
See also
In Spanish: Hydrangea arborescens para niños
