Blue Billow Hydrangea serrata Shrub

If you're searching for a refreshing splash of blue in your garden, look no further than this delightful Lacecap Hydrangea! 'Blue Billow' was discovered in Korea by Dr. Richard W. Lighty of Mount Cuba Gardens in Delaware, and we are ever so thankful to him for bringing us this garden gem.

'Blue Billow' is an early to midsummer bloomer, covering its deep green, pest-resistant foliage with delicate flowers of a rich sky blue (in acid soil) that's occasionally touched with a hint of turquoise -- a rarity in the garden! And since Hydrangea blooms make wonderful cut flowers and everlastings, you'll have uniquely beautiful bouquets to brighten the inside of your home as well!

What's another thing we love about Hydrangeas? That's right, the fact that so many don't believe in just offering us ONE color during the bloom season! 'Blue Billow's broad, azure blooms slowly change to a stunning crimson as they mature, and the dark green leaves become an elegant shade of burgundy-plum as the weather cools in fall -- a gorgeous transformation yo'll look forward to year after year!

'Blue Billow' is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with an upright, spreading growth habit and a rather low canopy. It has a medium rate of growth, reaching a mature size of 4 feet tall and 4 to 6 feet wide. 'Blue Billow' does best in partial shade to shade, in average to evenly moist conditions, but it will not tolerate standing water. This 1990 PHS Gold Medal winner is not too particular about soil type, but it does have a preference for acidic soil, especially if the truest sky blue blooms are desired!

'Blue Billow' is an excellent choice for gardens in or around urban areas, as it's proven to be somewhat tolerant of pollution. We do recommend applying a thick layer of mulch around the roots in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder zones. A beautiful, rounded shrub, 'Blue Billow' is a wonderful choice for foundations and borders, as either a stand-alone accent or in a mass planting. Its relatively course texture can be used to set it apart from other plants with finer foliage, such as Astilbe and ferns. Relatively low maintenance, it should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's blooms. This lovely Hydrangea has proved reliably hardy in the mid-Atlantic states and even bloomed after severe storms. 'Blue Billow' truly is a rare find!