Hydrangea, Eclipse Hydrangea macrophylla 'BAILMACSEVEN' Height: 5 feet Spread: 5 feet
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Hardiness Zone: 5a Other Names: French Hydrangea, Bigleaf Hydrangea Brand: First Editions Description: The first true dark-leaf mophead hydrangea; striking amethyst or cranberry colored blooms emerge over intense, dark purple leaves that hold their color, providing season-long beauty; it really stands out in shade gardens Ornamental Features Hydrangea, Eclipse features bold balls of ruby-red flowers with chartreuse centers at the ends of the branches from early to late summer. The flowers are excellent for cutting. It has attractive deep purple foliage with hints of black. The large glossy pointy leaves are highly ornamental but do not develop any appreciable fall color. Landscape Attributes Hydrangea, Eclipse is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with a more or less rounded form. Its relatively coarse texture can be used to stand it apart from other landscape plants with finer foliage. This shrub will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It has no significant negative characteristics. Hydrangea, Eclipse is recommended for the following landscape applications; Planting & Growing Hydrangea, Eclipse will grow to be about 5 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 5 feet. It tends to be a little leggy, with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years. This shrub does best in partial shade to shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. This plant should be periodically fertilized throughout the active growing season with a specially-formulated acidic fertilizer. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in both summer and winter to conserve soil moisture and protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America. Hydrangea, Eclipse makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its height, it is often used as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden. Special Attributes Mop head Hydrangeas grow best in eastern Washington & Oregon desert climates when they are shaded from 11am to 7pm in the summer
