The Dawes Arboretum

Common name: sawa tree-of-heaven hydrangea

Family: Hydrangeaceae (hydrangea family)

Synonym: Hydrangea acuminata, Hydrangea macrophylla subsp. serrata f. acuminata, Hydrangea serrata f. acuminata

Distribution: Japan and Korea

Hardiness: USDA Zone 5

Life form: Deciduous shrub/Subshrub

Comments: A deciduous shrub, usually no more than 5' tall and wide. Stems are slender when compared with other species. Leaves are abruptly pointed at the tips and lightly serrated along the margins. Flowers open in midsummer, composed of inner fertile florets surrounded by larger, male or ray flowers. Petal colors range from blue to white. Fruits ripen in the fall as a tiny, light brown seed held in gray-brown capsules. Plant in full sun to shade, in rich, moist, well-drained soil. Be sure to irrigate during drought.