Hydrangea macrophylla is a deciduous shrub that grows 3-6’ tall and wide. It features dark green leaves and large clusters of flowers which are either lace cap or mophead in structure. ‘Doublicious’, which grows 4-6’ tall, has mophead flowers which bloom from May through June on old wood and on new wood from July to October. Flower color is dependent on the soil in which the hydrangea is planted – blue in acidic soils and rose-pink in alkaline soils – and color will change as the flowers age. The dried flowers are attractive and persist throughout the winter.

Although the plant is hardy to Chicago’s Zone 5, it benefits from a sheltered site, winter mulch and burlap wrap to protect the buds and stems from dying to the ground during a harsh winter. Plant in moist soil in part shade; attractive when massed in a shrub border or used as a specimen plant.