Decumaria barbara Flower
Common Name: climbing hydrangea
Type: Vine
Family: Hydrangeaceae
Native Range: Southeastern United States
Zone: 6 to 8
Height: 15.00 to 30.00 feet
Spread: 1.00 to 3.00 feet
Bloom Time: May to June
Bloom Description: White
Sun: Part shade to full shade
Water: Medium to wet
Maintenance: Low
Suggested Use: Ground Cover, Naturalize, Rain Garden
Flower: Showy
Attracts: Butterflies
Tolerate: Wet Soil
Culture
Best grown in evenly moist to wet, moderately acidic, rich, humusy soils in part shade to full shade. Plenty of filtered sunlight is best. Avoid direct, afternoon sun. Tolerant of occasional inundation. Blooms on old wood. Prune as needed once flowering is complete. Propagate through softwood cuttings. Hardy in Zones 6-8.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Hydrangea barbara, commonly called climbing hydrangea is a woody, deciduous to semi-evergreen climbing vine native to rich, wet woods, forested swamps, stream banks, and bottomlands on the Atlantic Coastal Plain of the southern United States. Mature vines can climb up around 32' tall and create a canopy of foliage around 3' wide. The stems have adventitious roots that cling to the surface they are climbing. The dark green, glossy, ovate to oblong leaves are oppositely arranged and can reach up to 4.75" long and 3" wide. Dense, flat-topped, 2-4" wide, terminal clusters of small, white flowers bloom in late spring and early summer. The flowers are attractive to butterflies and other insect pollinators.
The genus name Hydrangea comes from hydor meaning "water" and aggeion meaning "vessel", in reference to the cup-like capsular fruit.
The specific epithet barbara means "of Barbary", a name once used for the northern coast of Africa. When Linnaeus assigned this plant its Latin binomial he had only seen it in cultivation in Europe and was unsure of its origin, postulating that it was native to northern Africa.
Problems
No major pest or disease problems of note.
Uses
Suitable for use as a vertical accent on trees, fences, walls, trellises, arbors or other structures in shady rain gardens, native gardens, or other consistently moist areas. The clusters of white flowers contrast well against the glossy, dark green leaves. Can also be used as a trailing ground cover. However, only climbing plants will bloom. Vines trailing along the ground will not bloom.