Hydrangea quercifolia 'Little Honey' --does it thrive in the NE?

14 years ago

I am in the process of falling in love with this plant and BEFORE I do I would love to know if it thrives in the NE. I read it was bred in the Pacific Northwest.

I am in Dutchess County (NY) near the CT border.

Thanks!

Sort by:Oldest

Comment (1)

ego45
14 years ago
ainhoa, you should search and read discussions on this board about LH and then decide for yourself if you want to let "process of falling in love" to go any further.
Just one man opinion who is probably in the whole zone warmer climate than you are: this plant is worth all the troubles. IMO it's not a plant you grow for the blooms (which are nice, but nothing special in comparison to regular oakleaves), but rather plant you grow for its fantastic (triple exclamation!!!) foliage from the mid-spring to the late fall.
Here is my side of the story: bought the first one in fall of 2005 as a 6" plant in a 1G pot. I planted it and it didn't make it thru the winter.
Second one (the same 6" stick in 1G) was bought in a fall of 2006. This time I immediately replanted it from original 1G pot into 3G and overwintered in coldframe(garage). It went into ground early spring of 2007. It didn't produced too much effect during that season, but by the fall nevertheless become a respectable 18x18" shrublet. It spent most of the winter 2007/8 being covered by upsidedown large 15G nursery pot and overwintered perfectly, though it was a relatively warm winter. By the end of the 2008 season it was in 30x30+" range. I wasn't able to find a large enough pot to cover plant of such size and 'as is' it went into the winter of 2008/9/ which as you know was one of the harshes winters in a long time.
Low and behold, it's over 4' in all dimensions right now and as of today opened its first two flowers :-)))
But there is more to the story. Being encouraged by success with #2, in a fall of 2008 I bought #3 and overwintered it the same way as #2. It woke up in spring as a very healthy plant, was planted in identical conditions as #2, started good, but...in June it began showing different signs of decline and I dug it out and planted back in fresh potting medium in a 3G pot where she currently resides. It's in recovery and I'd say it is not anymore in a danger of death, but right now it's a sorrow looking plant nevertheless.
My own experience somewhat confirms the words I've heard from the propagators and growers here in Northeast, ' This plant is never going to be in a mainstream here in NE due to unease of propagation and high mortality rate in a young age'.
Still, if you are not affraid of the challenges...and lucky...go for it.
P.S. I have knowledge of one plant in 5b (NE CT) which is about 5' after 6 years.
Related Discussions
Hydrangea quercifolia 'Little Honey'
Q
Comments (6)
mrgpag, sorry to hear you are not having much luck with your 'Little Honey' - I continue to be very impressed with this plant. It held its foliage - great color, btw - all winter (and a rather funky one for this area at that) and is just now shedding the old leaves as the new growth emerges. Growth has been pretty satisfactory as well - mine's about 2'x2' and well branched. I guess I would question what your 'liner' consisted of - how small a plant are we talking? It is a bit slow to establish, so a small plant may take a bit of time to build up some steam. I can't address how well this plant might perform in other areas of the country - it is obvious that a dwarf, off-colored oakleaf may not be as vigorous as a fully green form and possibly not as cold hardy. And to be fair, Briggs Nursery doesn't always generate winners the first time out of the shoot - their 'Briggs Moonlight' daphne was a real lemon for years but they have improved the breeding and propagation methods and this plant is now developing a much better reputation. On another note, 'Little Honey's distribution has been pretty limited to date, so how much of a response you'll get from other growers in other areas may be minimal. I wouldn't necessarily give up on it yet - growing it since last June is not much time to develop any kind of track record.
...See More
Anyone in NE growing Meconopsis (Blue Poppy)?
Q
Comments (31)
Hi Bill, I do remember the photos you posted of your new renovation and I was quite impressed with the job you did. The whole project came out great. Lots of good ideas and execution. AND, it looks like low maintenance in many ways too. I will look forward to seeing your new space mature. The catcus in one location didn't do well over the winter last year but I still had a patch of them in the fall. I've been immersed in one project or another that has kept me out of the garden. I barely have had a chance to even walk around the yard since summer, so I haven't noticed what the cactus are doing. I'm hoping that no snow cover and mild temps were good for them this year, but we have had some very cold temps with no snow cover. Thanks for the reminder, I'll have to check them out next time I'm out and I'll let you know. I can't believe it is almost February! Spring is right around the corner and I can't wait!
...See More
where is the annual (perennial) N.E. complaining?
Q
Comments (17)
Ouch Wendy, those pics are painful...I hope your "splint" works on that maple. Overall, it was a great winter for perennials. Last November, during Veteran's Day weekend, Mahoney's had a sale on their perennials and grasses, $5 each. I just couldn't help myself, I went down 4 days in a row and pots kept jumping onto my cart...55 pots in total! (That would be $275 worth of perennials/grasses). So then I was faced with, what the heck do I do with 55 pots for the winter (along with a few already in the pot ghetto)? I planted a few, sunk most of them into the ground, and overwintered about 15 in the pot ghetto, covered with leaves. Well, with all the snow cover, it was a great winter for the "herbaceous layer" and it looks like almost all of the plants in pots have survived just fine! However, my baby shrubs that are in holding beds are another story. Most of them suffered some breakage because of the heavy snow. A small Elderberry lost most of it's main branches. But they are all budding out. Little to no damage on the broadleaf evergreens this winter though! That's a good thing.
...See More
H. quercifolia 'Little Honey' - I think I killed it
Q
Comments (3)
I'd have to assume that it just was not well enough established to survive our strange winter weather. Mine is in a container in a pretty shady location and came through without damage. Held on to its rosy pink fall foliage throughout the winter and in fact there are still a few old leaves hanging off the brilliantly chartreuse new growth. Mine has been a container plant its entire life....had it for about 4 years now. Even though it is a Briggs introduction, the likelihood it was grown by Briggs may be slim. They oversold their entire stock of this plant, both finished containers and plugs, and have not had it available for a couple of seasons. My sales rep assures me there will be some available later this season :-) A great little plant, certainly worth trying again.
...See More

Related Stories

GARDENING GUIDES 8 Plants for a Deliciously Fragrant Fall Garden

By Le jardinet

Scent the autumn air with the perfume of caramel corn, honey and spices by adding these intoxicating plants to your landscape

Full Story

GARDENING GUIDES Have Acidic Soil in Your Yard? Learn to Love Gardening Anyway

By Falon Mihalic

Look to acid-loving plants, like conifers and rhododendrons, to help your low-pH garden thrive

Full Story

GARDENING GUIDES Garden-Friendly Native Alternatives to Overplanted Exotics

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

There are lots of gorgeous, wildlife-friendly native plants ready to make an appearance in your garden

Full Story

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Snowberry Pleases Year-Round

By Kate Bryant

Bright spring foliage, pretty summer flowers, white berries in winter ... Symphoricarpos albus is a sight to behold in every season

Full Story

DECORATING GUIDES The Case for In-Between Colors

By Fred Albert

These mutable hues defy easy description, but their appeal all around the home isn't hard to get

Full Story

182

GARDENING GUIDES Make Sure You Read This Before Buying New Plants

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Follow these 10 plant-selection tips to avoid buyer’s remorse

Full Story

GARDENING GUIDES Backyard Birds: Invite Entertaining Hummingbirds Into Your Garden

By Habitat Network

Hummingbirds — unique to the Americas — zip through open landscapes seasonally or year-round. Here’s how to attract them

Full Story

182

GARDENING FOR BUTTERFLIES Garden for Wildlife to Reap Rich Rewards

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

When you plant with animals and insects in mind, you make gardening easier, the planet healthier and yourself more present

Full Story

GARDENING GUIDES 6 Plants That Beat Butterfly Bush for the Wildlife Draw

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

It's invasive, a nonnative and a poor insect magnet. Check out these better alternatives to butterfly bush in the garden

Full Story

227

SPRING GARDENING Top 10 Scented Plants for Your Garden

By Carol Bucknell Garden Design

A palette of perfumed plants can transform even the smallest of gardens into a sensory delight

Full Story

113

Hydrangea quercifolia 'Little Honey' --does it thrive in the NE?

Comment (1)

ego45

Related Discussions

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US