Hydrangeas, the most popular decorative accent, are often called the rockstar of the shrub world. The elegant plants have an eye-catching structure and medium height that can add extra texture to your lawn. They produce colorful blooms and fruits that are a common source of decorative accent.
The blooms are highly impressive and help in pollination by attracting butterflies, bees, and other pollinators. The flower colors vary from white to purple. But there are so many plants that look like hydrangeas. Although these plants have a similar appearance to hydrangea, they are poisonous to humans and pets also.
Sometimes, the plants get more invasive and go out of control. They can cause various skin problems and allergies to sensitive people. The plants are not edible and often cause moderate stomach upset. Anyway, we should examine the original hydrangea plants.
With this in mind, we have written this post that includes 7 plants that look like hydrangeas. If you are a professional landscaper, you need to find out the real one. If you are looking for a complete guide on plants that resemble hydrangeas, this article is just made for you. Look no further than reviewing the entire guide and have more information about some hydrangea-like plants. Let’s discover the truth:
Table of Contents
7 Plants That Look Like Hydrangeas
1. Chinese snowball shrub (Viburnum macrocephalum)
Chinese snowball shrub is usually known as snowball hydrangea that looks similar to hydrangea plants. It is a fellow of the Adoxaceae species and is quite common in China. It comes with a rounded vase-shaped structure making it more elegant to look at. The plant resembles hydrangea and can thrive 15 feet in length and 12 feet in width. It is a fruitless plant and doesn’t generate fruits. But some species can reproduce fruits. These snowball hydrangeas start to bear yellowish-green bloom heads that can be 8 inches long.
The plant demands partial shade or full sunlight for optimum growth. The soil should be well moist, fertile, and in good condition. It can withstand the hardiness of USDA zones of 7 through 9. The snowy white flowers look more elegant in your garden and work as a decorative feature. The plant produces green flowers and the flowers turn white when mature. The blooms have no fragrance. They look eye-catching and more beautiful when they mature.
For thriving, the plant requires well-drained and humid soil. Acidic soil conditions are more preferable to these plants. The leaves of the plant look semi-green in the USDA growing zones. The flowering season of this tree is late spring, but it doesn’t hold fruits as it is a sterile plant. Chinese snowball shrub has another variety named Viburnum macrocephalum. This variety grows best in wild areas and may bear fruits. You can utilize the plant in foundation plantings, groups, and even casual fences. It is also resistant to various diseases, insects, and pests. Thus, the plant is easy to cultivate with proper maintenance.
Buy Chinese snowball shrub Plant
2. Ixora (Ixora coccinea)
Ixora coccinea, the common flowering shrub that produces small flowers that look like hydrangeas. In different areas, the plant is recognized with different names including jungle geranium, jungle flame, the flame of the woods, and so on. The plant grows best in Bangladesh, Southern India, and Srilanka. South Florida gardeners and landscapers used to cultivate this elegant plant in their gardens. You know Red Flower Clusters or Ixora is the national bloom of Suriname.
It is a multi-branched dense plant that can be 4-6 feet in length. In optimum growth areas, the plant can grow up to 12 feet. It produces bright, leathery, and oval-shaped evergreen leaves where each leaf can be 4 inches long. The leaves are attached to the thick stems. The plant produces tubular, Scarlet shaped eye-catching flowers that remain in clusters. That’s why the plant is also called red flower clusters. The rounded clusters can grow up to 2-5 inches long.
The plant carries more blossoms when it is cultivated in sunny areas either in bright sunlight or partial sunlight. For optimum growth, it needs high humidity and well-irrigated soils. Acidic soil conditions are more preferable to Ixora. It can withstand the hardiness of USDA zones 9 through 11. It is a rhetorical tree that is widely being employed as an ornamental accent. You can make a flowering canopy by planting these trees together.
3. Purple Panicles (Syringa vulgaris)
Syringa vulgaris, also named lilac, produces flowers similar to hydrangeas. It is a common member of the olive family Oleaceae that is highly found in the Balkan Peninsula. Rocky hills are the best place for growing this tree. The tree produces small, sweetly scented lilac-colored blooms in spring. Each flower can grow up to 8 inches long. It can overcome the hardiness of USDA zones of 3 through 7.
For optimum growth, the tree prefers well-irrigated, moist and fertile soils that are in good condition. Bright sunlight is highly preferable to plant these trees. It bears flowers in different colors including purple, white, pink, and even yellow. The important reason why it looks like a hydrangea plant is it establishes long panicles (10 inches) on the butterfly frontier that have a similar appearance to hydrangea.
The ornamented plant can adapt to a diversity of soil types. The flowers of the plant work as a pollinator as it attracts butterflies and bees. You are going to find this small bunch of trees in Europe, North America, and Asia. The plant is widely being cultivated from place to place due to its ornamental characteristics, impressive looks, and sweetly scented elegant flowers. It demands poor maintenance, that’s why gardeners are fond of planting this tree.
4. Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia)
Mountain laurel has the scientific name of Kalmia latifolia that is called after different names in different places. The common names of Mountain laurel include calico-bush and spoonwood. It is a common species of the family of Ericaceae. This blooming plant is an evergreen shrub that can develop to 3-9 m long. It produces leaves from the thick stem while each leaf becomes 3-12 cm in length and 1-4 cm in width.
The ornamental plant produces different colored blooms in the flowering season typically in spring. The blooms can be hexagonal or pentagonal with the colors of either pink or white. The flowers are more elegant than you think. People used to festoon their residences with these wonderful blossoms. Typically the blooming season ranges from May to June. But the plant is poisonous to domestic animals. Thus, you should be more comprehensive if you plant this tree on your lawn. Keep your pets away from the plant.
Kalmia latifolia can be a great alternative to hydrangea. The plant grows best in rocky slopes and hilly forest regions. During the flowering season, the tree carries cup-shaped tiny rose-colored blooms that can range from white to pink. Being a touchy plant, it mandates organically vibrant, well-drained, humid, and fertile soils. The soil’s condition should be acidic. It can resist the hardest USDA zones of 4 through 9. The flowers are often called Egyptian star flowers that are widely being used as a home decorative feature or as a housing plant.
Buy Mountain laurel Flower Plant
5. Annabelle’ Smooth Hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens)
Annabelle’s Smooth Hydrangea is a specific variety of hydrangea that is quite common in the United States. It has several names including smooth hydrangea, sevenbark, wild hydrangea, and even sheep flower. It comes to the flowering family of Hydrangeaceae. The evergreen shrub can be small to medium-sized and grow up to 10 feet long. It produces snowy white-colored flowers from the stem. Each flower becomes 1 cm in diameter.
The blooming seasons range from May to July. The plant also bears fruits that are ribbed brown capsule-shaped while each fruit becomes 2 mm long. The thick stem of the plant carries large leaves that are serrated, contrary, ovate, and deciduous. The leaflets can be 8-18 cm long. The lower leaflets are hairy with trichomes. The plant is widely received for ornamental purposes. It is a frigid season hydrangea that thrives nicely in either full sun or partial sun. It prefers proper watering during the summer months otherwise it can be dormant.
Late winter or early spring is considered the grieving season of this tree when it matures and produces fruits and flowers. For proper growth, the plant wants well moist fertile soils that are in acidic conditions. It is able to withstand the rough edges of USDA zones of 3 through 9. It may be used as a housing plant in several states. You can festoon your residence and garden with these eye-dashing and impressive flowering plants.
Buy Annabelle’ Smooth Hydrangea Plant
6. Snow Queen Oakleaf Hydrangea
Snow Queen Oakleaf Hydrangea is one of the most common varieties of hydrangea that looks like hydrangea. It is a deciduous evergreen shrub that contains boldly lobed leaves and snowy white-colored attractive blooms. The plant is called snow queen due to its impressive snowy flowers. It also contains dense, conical flower heads where each bloom becomes 8 inches long. The flowering plant can grow up to 4-6 feet in length and 6-8 feet across.
The plant has a thick stem where the oak-like leaves are attached uniformly. The leaves are green when they appear, but turn bronze purple to red color when mature. It’s a sun-loving tree that prospers well in both full sun and partial sunlight. It loves to grow in good soil conditions including acidic, well moist, well-drained, fertile, and medium moisture. During fall, the blooms of this plant get a rosy shade. The attractive blooms also act as a pollinator that attracts butterflies and bees and thus helps in pollination.
This special type of hydrangea plant can also withstand drought conditions and thrive in dry areas also. It can be used for a variety of purposes such as hybrid shrub borders, mass plantings, hedges, and also as a backdrop or decorative plant. The small tree can thrive in the USDA zones of 5 through 9. Still, the flowering plant is not edible to humans as it causes stomach upset and the leaves have allergies to sensitive people causing aggressive skin problems.
Buy Snow Queen Oakleaf Hydrangea Plant
7. Little Lamb’ Panicle Hydrangea
Little Lamb’ Panicle Hydrangea is a special type of hydrangea species that resembles a similar appearance to hydrangea. It is a common type of deciduous shrub that can grow up to 6-8 feet in length. The height can be high depending on the growing places. It can spread up to 4-6 feet. The rapidly growing vigorous plant is quite common in China and Japan. It contains a dense thick stem that carries long leaves. The leaves are sharply pointed, upright, dark green, and oval-shaped.
The plant bears conical and terminal flower panicles during the blooming season of June to September. The blooms are snowy white and eye-catching. For the best growth, the plant prefers organically rich, fertile, well moist, and fertile soils. It can grow well both in full sun and partial sunlight. Being a sun-loving tree, it grows best in bright sunlight. Typically, it flourishes in urban areas.
It is a multi-stemmed shrub and is often considered a winter-hardy species. The plant is widely being used in a mixed shrub border and also in the woodland garden. It is also employed in the lawn as a decorative accent and hedge. The tree cab tolerates air pollution and is disease-free. It requires medium watering and proper maintenance. The attractive snowy blooms also act as a pollinating agent and help in pollination. You may cultivate these plants alongside your lawn and make your lawn lush green. The housing plant is also widely used as a decorative accent in homes and gardens.
Buy Panicle Hydrangea Flower Plant
Last Few Words:
Do you have enough ideas about hydrangea plants? Do you recognize the real hydrangea plants? You will find a heap of similar plants that have a comparable appearance to this plant. Are you eager to know? Well! Continue reading this article about 7 plants that look like hydrangeas. Let’s discover the real plants.
