Virginia Tech Dendrology

climbing hydrangea Hydrangeaceae Hydrangea anomala D. Don. symbol:
Leaf: Opposite, simple, serrate, oval to ovate, heart-shaped base, long petiole, 2 to 4 inches long, thickened and coarse feeling, dark green above, paler below.
Flower: White, in large flat-topped (5 to 8 inch) clusters, outer flowers much larger and sterile, very showy, fragrant, appearing in late early summer.
Fruit: Small brown capsule, not showy.
Twig: Stout, initially green turning red and eventually brown, peeling bark, large bud with reddish brown and light brown scales.
Bark: Reddish brown with large amounts of exfoliating bark, develops aerial roots, attractive.
Form: A climbing vine that may reach over 60 feet in height.
Looks like: woodvamp

Additional Range Information: Hydrangea anomala is planted in the USDA hardiness zones shown above and is not known to widely escape cultivaton. Download the full-size PDF map.
More Information: Fall Color
External Links:
All material 2025 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information