Roadless Areas
Home/Species/ Wild Hydrangea

Hydrangea arborescens

L.

Wild Hydrangea

G5Secure Found in 85 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.134902
Element CodePDHDR01010
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderRosales
FamilyHydrangeaceae
GenusHydrangea
Other Common Names
Hortensia en arbre (FR) Smooth Hydrangea (EN) wild hydrangea (EN)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Conservation Status
Review Date1985-04-05
Change Date1985-04-05
Range Extent200,000 to >2,500,000 square km (about 80,000 to >1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Range Extent Comments
The native range of this shrub stretches from southern New York to Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, and Oklahoma, south to Louisiana and Florida. This has been introduced to Massachusetts, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and probably elsewhere.
Ecology & Habitat

Description

Wild hydrangea is a deciduous open shrub that grows 5-6 feet tall. The bark is brown and peels in numerous layers. The opposite leaves are 3-6 inches long, broadly oval or heart-shaped, and sharply toothed. They are dull, dark green above and slightly paler beneath. The showy flower cluster is flat-topped and up to 4 inches wide. It contains many greenish-white or white fertile flowers and sometimes a few sterile flowers around the edge that have large white showy sepals. The small brown dry fruits form in the late summer and are visible into the early winter.
Other Nations (2)
CanadaNNA
ProvinceRankNative
Nova ScotiaSNANo
New BrunswickSNANo
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
VirginiaS5Yes
DelawareSHYes
KentuckyS5Yes
MissouriSNRYes
MassachusettsSNANo
FloridaS1Yes
South CarolinaSNRYes
MarylandSNRYes
MississippiSNRYes
West VirginiaS5Yes
LouisianaS2Yes
PennsylvaniaS5Yes
OklahomaSNRYes
New JerseyS4Yes
TennesseeSNRYes
ArkansasSNRYes
OhioSNRYes
North CarolinaS5Yes
ConnecticutSNANo
VermontSNANo
New YorkS2Yes
IllinoisSNRYes
GeorgiaSNRYes
District of ColumbiaSNRYes
IndianaSNRYes
AlabamaSNRYes
Plant Characteristics
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (85)
Alabama (1)
AreaForestAcres
Oakey MountainTalladega National Forest6,129
Arkansas (4)
AreaForestAcres
Bear MountainOuachita National Forest1,910
Clifty CanyonOzark-St. Francis National Forest1,963
Dismal CreekOzark-St. Francis National Forest9,160
Richland CreekOzark-St. Francis National Forest571
Georgia (5)
AreaForestAcres
Ellicott Rock AdditionChattahoochee National Forest690
Helton CreekChattahoochee National Forest2,348
Kelly RidgeChattahoochee National Forest8,325
Pink KnobChattahoochee National Forest12,127
Sarah's CreekChattahoochee National Forest6,888
Illinois (1)
AreaForestAcres
Bay CreekShawnee National Forest120
North Carolina (19)
AreaForestAcres
Bald MountainPisgah National Forest11,085
Balsam ConePisgah National Forest10,591
BearwallowPisgah National Forest4,113
Big Indian (addition)Nantahala National Forest1,155
Chunky Gal (addition)Nantahala National Forest3,336
Craggy MountainPisgah National Forest2,657
Graveyard Ridge (addition)Pisgah National Forest1,958
Harper CreekPisgah National Forest7,325
Jarrett CreekPisgah National Forest7,485
Laurel MountainPisgah National Forest5,683
Linville Gorge AdditionPisgah National Forest2,809
Little Indian (addition)Nantahala National Forest640
Lost CovePisgah National Forest5,944
Overflow CreekNantahala National Forest3,379
Sam Knob (addition)Pisgah National Forest2,576
Tusquitee BaldNantahala National Forest13,670
Wesser BaldNantahala National Forest4,061
Wilson CreekPisgah National Forest4,863
Woods MountainPisgah National Forest9,602
Pennsylvania (2)
AreaForestAcres
Clarion RiverAllegheny National Forest3,821
Minister ValleyAllegheny National Forest1,417
South Carolina (1)
AreaForestAcres
Ellicott Rock 2Sumter National Forest517
Tennessee (12)
AreaForestAcres
Bald MountainCherokee National Forest11,743
Bald River Gorge AdditionCherokee National Forest1,728
Beaver Dam CreekCherokee National Forest5,070
Brushy RidgeCherokee National Forest7,469
Devil's BackboneCherokee National Forest4,287
London Bridge BranchCherokee National Forest3,387
Rogers RidgeCherokee National Forest4,738
Sampson Mountain AdditionCherokee National Forest3,064
Slide HollowCherokee National Forest4,057
Stone MountainCherokee National Forest5,367
Sycamore CreekCherokee National Forest6,984
Upper Bald RiverCherokee National Forest9,202
Virginia (24)
AreaForestAcres
Adams PeakGeorge Washington National Forest7,135
Beards MountainGeorge Washington National Forest7,505
Beaver Dam CreekJefferson National Forest1,135
Broad RunJefferson National Forest10,971
Brush MountainJefferson National Forest6,002
Elliott KnobGeorge Washington National Forest9,380
Gum RunGeorge Washington National Forest12,620
Hoop HoleJefferson National Forest4,652
James River AdditionJefferson National Forest1,140
JerkemtightGeorge Washington National Forest16,687
Kelley MountainGeorge Washington National Forest7,590
Little RiverGeorge Washington National Forest27,292
Mt. PleasantGeorge Washington National Forest8,933
North MountainJefferson National Forest8,377
Northern MassanuttenGeorge Washington National Forest9,444
Oak KnobGeorge Washington National Forest10,882
Oliver MountainGeorge Washington National Forest13,090
Ramseys Draft AdditionGeorge Washington National Forest12,781
Rogers RunJefferson National Forest181
Saint Marys AdditionGeorge Washington National Forest1,454
SkidmoreGeorge Washington National Forest5,641
Southern MassanuttenGeorge Washington National Forest11,985
The PriestGeorge Washington National Forest5,737
Three RidgesGeorge Washington National Forest4,745
West Virginia (16)
AreaForestAcres
Canaan LoopMonongahela National Forest7,867
Cranberry AdditionMonongahela National Forest11,123
Cranberry Glades Botanical AreaMonongahela National Forest785
Dolly Sods Roaring PlainMonongahela National Forest13,392
Dry ForkMonongahela National Forest657
Dry River (WV)George Washington National Forest7,331
East Fork Of GreenbrierMonongahela National Forest7,167
Falls Of Hills CreekMonongahela National Forest6,925
Glady ForkMonongahela National Forest3,239
Little Allegheny MountainMonongahela National Forest10,514
Little MountainMonongahela National Forest8,172
Mcgowan MountainMonongahela National Forest10,504
Middle MountainMonongahela National Forest19,020
North Mountain HopevilleMonongahela National Forest6,525
Seneca CreekMonongahela National Forest22,287
Turkey MountainMonongahela National Forest6,421
References (2)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2016. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 12. Magnoliophyta: Vitaceae to Garryaceae. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxiv + 603 pp.
  2. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.