Both, Blue Billow and Blue Bird stays perfectly green all season. Grayswood's leaves usualy start turning color by September here.

I just purchased two Bluebird Serrata Hydrangeas yesterday from a place we're not familiar with, and the salesperson had no answers for us about the plant. The tag said "grown in Canada" with no name of the grower. On the back of the tag it said Bluebird is a dwarf with green leaves that redden in the fall. The mature size, it says, without pruning is 4-6 Ft. tall and wide. I'd appreciate any experience any of you have with Bluebird. Doesn't sound like a dwarf to me - and that is ok. It also says no pruning necessary. Rather confusing. Thanks, Donna

In z8 no pruning necessary indeed :-)
I wouldn't call it a dwarf, it's a regular 5-6' tall plant.
If your soil is acidic you'll have something like on a link below.
If your soil is alcaline....you better not waste your time with a Bluebird. There are many other hydrangeas that look much better in alcaline soil.

Here is a link that might be useful:

Beautiful picture. Do those do well in zone 7?

Ego45: Thank you for responding, and sending that gorgeous picture of your Bluebird hydrangea. Lots of the soil in this area is acidic, as it grows beautiful rhodies and Christmas Trees. I also manage to get some beautiful pinks and mixed colored blooms (pink, white, and blue) on other hydrangeas. I have the aluminum powder here to use, as I wanted to see if I could turn any of them purple, so do you think some mix of the aluminum would assist the Bluebird? I love the color you have. What food do you use on your hydrangeas? I just bought some 16-16-16 - so how would you recommend its use? I have some hydrangeas that are 7 feet tall and at least 6 feet wide - some larger and smaller. Thanks you for being here for us.

Donna, my soil is naturaly acidic with pH ranging fron 5.8 to 6.5 in a different parts of the garden. I don't have any problem to keep/make hydrangeas blue, but to just keep (forget about make) them pink/red is a big challenge. Therefore I don't use alluminum sulfate and I can't advise on its use.
Food? What food?
I don't feed them at all, except maybe shovel of compost if and when I have extra. That's it.
Most of my shade and semi-shade beds were reclaimed from the areas where many-many-many years old piles of leaves were collected by previous owners and soil there is organicaly rich by itself.
If you already have 7x6' happy hydrangeas growing without supplementary food why would you need to feed them?

I grow about 15 different H. serrata cultivars and all but one, retain their green foliage until late fall. They are grown in high shade. The singe one, whose leaves begins to turn burgundy in late summer, receives several hours of afternoon summer sun and that would be a normal reaction for serratas.
I no longer have 'Bluebird', which in my garden, was a 'Pink Flamingo', even in acidic soil for several years. It now rests in the great beyond, via the compost heap.
No regrets, please! It was UGLY!
Rb

How bud-hardy is Blue Bird? I just saw small plants of Blue Bird offered in a garden center for $10. Was tempted, I love the lace-cap look in hydrageas (and blue!) but I really don't want to buy it only to have it never bloom because my winters are too cold. And I'd really rather not get into trying to protect the buds. So, would Blue Bird be a reliable bloomer for me in zone 6 New Jersey? Thanks!

BBird is definitely hardy in 6b and likely hardy in 6a.
BBillow is hardy in all z6.

Hi H serrata enthusiasts- Happy Spring! I too am in the market for a Z5-hardy blue serrata for a bright shade/2-3 hour sun, preferably 5sh ft tall for a hole I prep'd last Fall, between Blushing Bride (in a sunnier end) & Midnight Dutchess (in more shaded end of row).

I have 3 Big Smile H serratas (did well but failed their promised Fall foliage due to early freeze) & 1 MyM, aka 'Purple Tiers' (produced beautiful blooms in 1st season despite the late/2-week Spring freeze of '07). Would Blue Billow fit the bill? I don't mind serious protection ... getting better at it!

'Very much appreciate your thoughts!!!
D