Design

Eclipse® Bigleaf Hydrangea: An Amazing New Hydrangea with Black Leaves

Nope, we didn’t color edit that photo—it’s a dark-leaved hydrangea

By Fine Gardening editors Fine Gardening – Issue 215
Eclipse bigleaf hydrangea
Courtesy of Bailey Nurseries

There are a bazillion bigleaf hydrangeas out there. So when a new one comes out, it really needs to stand out from the crowd. Meet Eclipse® bigleaf hydrangea—a unique selection with dark purple leaves that hold their color throughout the gardening season. In summer the dramatic foliage is accompanied by striking cranberry blooms with white centers.

Eclipse bigleaf hydrangea
Photo by Tracy Walsh Photo, Courtesy of Bailey Nurseries

black leaves of eclipse hydrangea
Courtesy of Bailey Nurseries

Growers are also reporting that this baby is resistant to powdery mildew and Cercospora leaf spot. Just imagine all the great combinations you can create with that foliage in a container or in the landscape.

Eclipse® bigleaf hydrangea

Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Bailmacseven’

Zones: 5–9

Size: 3 to 5 feet tall and wide

Conditions: Partial shade; average, well-drained soil

Native range: China, Japan, Korea

Sources:

• Nature Hills Nursery, Omaha, NE; 402-934-8116; naturehills.com

• Wilson Bros Gardens, McDonough, GA; 770-573-1778; wilsonbrosgardens.com

 

More on growing hydrangeas:

Guide to Growing Bigleaf Hydrangeas

When to Prune Bigleaf Hydrangeas?

Do Deer Eat Hydrangeas?

Adjusting soil pH for Hydrangeas

 

See more cool plants:

Lots more Super Cool Plants

Plants with Black Foliage

The Best of the Newer Hydrangeas

Fine Gardening Recommended Products

DeWalt Variable-Speed Cordless Reciprocating Saw

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

You can fit a variety of blades to this saw to cut fallen branches or prune larger limbs from trees in a pinch. It’s fast, tough, easy to use, and extremely versatile.
- 18.31 x 6.13 x 4 inches
- 1-1/8-inch stroke length
- Variable speed trigger with 0-3000 spm
Buy at Amazon

Buffalo-Style Gardens: Create a Quirky, One-of-a-Kind Private Garden with Eye-Catching Designs

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

Buffalo-Style Gardens is a one-of-a-kind, offbeat garden design book that showcases the wildly inventive gardens and gardeners of Buffalo – and offers readers "the best of the best” ideas to use in their own small-space gardens.
Buy at Amazon

Dramm 17050 50′ ColorStorm 1/2″ Standard Soaker Hose

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

- Provides sufficient amounts of water to the garden without the hassle of hand watering
- Conveniently waters garden and beds
- 50 ft. by 1/2 inch diameter made from recycled material; lifetime guarantee
- Made in the USA
Buy at Amazon
X
No comments yet

Comments

Log in or create an account to post a comment.

Related Articles

The Latest

Podcast: Let's Argue About Plants
Episode 181: Plants You Can’t Kill

When plants are done in by pests, diseases, or bad weather, it is hard not to take it personally. But on the positive side, each plant that shuffles off this…
Design
Building Community, One Garden at a Time | Letter from the Editor

“Do you know that woman?” I asked John Mathews while in his front garden in Madison, Wisconsin, last year. We had been deep in conversation about a ginkgo when a…
Design
Silphiums: The Giant Native Plants We All Should Be Growing

As a budding horticulturist, my first encounter with prairie dock (Silphium terebinthinaceum) was intriguing and puzzling. The sheer size and verticality of the spade-like leaves slicing through grasses and forbs…

Video

View All Videos
Design

Touring an Eco-friendly, Shady Backyard Retreat

You must be careful when you enter the backyard of garden designer Jeff Epping—not because you’re likely to trip on something, but because you might be dive-bombed by a pair…
Design

4 Midsummer Favorites From a Plant Breeder's Garden
Podcast: Let's Argue About Plants

Episode 181: Plants You Can’t Kill
Podcast: Let's Argue About Plants

Episode 180: Plants with Big, Bold Foliage 
How-To

4 Steps to Remove Invasive Plants in Your Yard