Hydrangea macrophylla 'Miss Saori' (bigleaf hydrangea)

Miss Saori bigleaf hydrangea has created quite a stir amongst hydrangea lovers because of not-one-but-two beautiful features.

In the spring new growth on Miss Saori is burgundy and that's sensational, but then the "different" mophead flowers open and we swoon.

The sterile florets have double rows of sepals. These sepals are cream/white with a bright pink rim.

However, suspend that description because Miss Saori's flowers are like hair - they change a lot. While never remotely having a bad hair day, they vary depending on climate and age. In warmer climates there is more cream; in cooler climates there is more pink.

Then, with age, the pink rim bleeds further into the sepals. The final flower pic shows an antiquing Miss Saori flower.

To complicate matters, here in the bona fide heat of zone 8a, while the first leaf flush in spring is burgundy, consecutive flushes are suppressed to green with a burgundy leaf margin (the second leaf pic shows this). Our unrelenting heat and high nighttime temps are just too hot to maintain the vivid leaf color throughout the growing season.

However, the summer foliage does maintain a nice dark green color in zone 8a, if not the purple y'all will get in cooler climates (zone 7a and cooler).

In the autumn, the foliage turns red. Red! It's lovely. The last two pictures exhibit the red fall color.

We're told this is cold hardy to 6a, but Miss Saori is so new that we don't know from our own experience. We would love to hear from you about this matter.

• mophead with sepals bi-colored white/cream/pale pink surrounded by a darker pink margin and doubled in formation
• slightly smaller than average hydrangea bush (but not dwarf)
• single specimen and accent use
• large container use
• grouping and massing - large swaths
• flower and shrub borders
• tolerant of salt spray so great for maritime climates
• heat tolerant

cut flowers

The flower color is not as you described, it's paler.
Yes, I've come to the conclusion that Hydrangeas don't like to have their flower color profiled and clinically categorized like we humans try to do to everyone and everything. Please keep in mind that flower color varies widly and wildly depending on soil pH and the amount of aluminum actually in your soil, the amount of time aluminum has been availalbe to the plant (did you add Al only last month?), the unique propensity of how each cultivar reacts to Al, and if the flower heads get a touch of sunshine as they age.

The flower color is not as you described, it seems darker to me.
Same issues as when it's paler; say after me, "a-lum-i-num-a-vail-a-bil-i-ty plus time plus cultivar plus a touch of sunshine."

This is science for sure, but also a whole lot of art. Enjoy the outcome Mother Nature deals!