Have you checked out Hydrangea Nigra? Lady in Red is a lacecap with dark red stems.

I looks similar to Nigra, but from what I have read Nigra blooms on old wood. This plant had blooms high up, right at the top fo the plant, and old wood hydrangeas just don't bloom well around here. It wasn't a lacecap. Does anyone have Nigra in a zone 5 garden that blooms?

My Nigra blooms very high up right on top--sounds like that is what you saw although Oregon Pride is a dark stemmed hydra. also thought doubt either would do in Zone 5 without protection---try to get a cutting from the house and make your own plants....

The garden is actually in front of a commercial building right on a busy street. Unless I snuck in during the dead of night I would get caught. ;)

I don't think it is Oregon Pride. The pictures I've seen of that online the stems are dark but the leaves don't show the burgundy hint that this one shows.

I believe the plant you saw is LADY IN RED - and I have about 5 of them. The "red" part is NOT the flower, but the stems and the leaves. The flowers here in my soil, are a soft blue and are lacy looking. I do not think the plant is spectacular really, and am willing to sell all but one of them. I thought the flowers would be red. I am in an area South of Seattle and not much is blooming yet as our weather has been coolish and rainy. Plants are growing tho!

It wasn't Lady in Red, the flowers were not lace cap, they were more globular (but not as much as ES). I am going to try to take a picture and post it here.

looks just like my Nigra in bloom but the leaves look like Lady in Red--Id get a cutting.....

It does look a lot like Nigra... I think you have likely come across quite a specimen though; if it's blooming where only re-bloomers typically do. I have seen Nigra show some dark color in the stems like that, and the shape in your pic fits with Nigra, also.

The only other thought I have is that I seem to remember Mike Dirr working on a dark-stemmed rebloomer with Nigra as a parent, but last I heard, it was still just one of his nameless masses- a numbered designation at best. It may well have been released at some point though- or the garden's owner might have gotten a tester from him, if they're industry-types. Otherwise, I'd guess it's just a natural mutation- and a lovely one at that!

There is a nice, newer subdivision near us that has an island in the cul de sac and there are several of these (at least 6, all look the same) as well as grasses, etc., planted. Builder installed. I can't remember if the plants were installed last year or this year. If they were installed this year then they may never bloom again if they bloom on old wood only. It amazes me how easy it is to find Nikkos here, they almost never bloom. My understanding is that Nigra blooms on old wood only. I've checked out the leading garden center around here and they don't sell anything like this. I may have to root a cutting.

'Black stems, and the leaves had a hint of burgundy', flower is 'less globe-like than ES'...
I think it has 'Preziosa' written over it.

'Nikko Blue' would not bloom reliably where I live, but I've noticed a couple of 'Preziosa' in the neighborhood planted in ground since year, have bloomed beautifully this summer. The only difference compared with the picture above is that, the flowers' color are not uniformly blue or pink. They're usually mixed.

If you like this look, also look into H. 'Enchantress' also now called H. 'Blue Enchantress'. I don't think it was around in 2010, but it is now. Looks like this with large blue (or can be pink) mopheads and has black stems. H. nigra blooms on old wood. H. '(Blue) Enchantress is a rebloomer.

H. nigra has black stems and can be anywhere between blue, white or pink with pH.

Cuttings taken from same H. nigra grown in different shady loocations in our yard.

This is H. 'Selina' also with darkish stems grown in front of a H. nigra. The blackish stems look great together.. I like the effect for the edge of shady boarders with the shorter 'Selina' in more sunny front spot. 'Selina' has brownish red new growth too. Nigra is a mophead and Selina a lacecap when viewed from top.

Selina starts more with a light center and colors up over time.

H. nigra mopheads can get beautiful brushed color effects. Flower petals are a bit larger than many hydrangea.

gfleatham, I've been enjoying the info on various hydrangeas you've been adding and appreciate the accompanying photos. Any chance you'd be willing to add your zone & general location to your profile so that they post by your name automatically? TIA Houzz doesn't make it easy to figure out how, so here are directions:

Go to Your Houzz in the upper right of every page, click Edit Profile, and on the left side click advanced settings. Well down the advanced settings page is a blank labeled Climate Zone for Garden Forums along with a link to find your zone. You add info on your state or the nearest large city since zone only relates to average coldest winter temperatures.

Then return to the top of the page and click Done Editing.

Thx for request. I've updated our zone, which is 8a, just south of Seattle, WA.

Found a photo of our H. '(Blue) Enchantress'. Can be darker blue flower, but this shot looked like the request above. It does have black stems with a reddish hue (like the requested ID photo). In fact, Monrovia lists it as having Ruby Black stems. Also it gets the same brownish tones on the leaves as in the photo. Best of all it is a rebloomer for us. It is one of my favorite blooms on the newer hydrangea introductions.

H. 'Zebra' and H. nigra much blacker stems for us.

Attached is a photo from Monrovia for H. 'Blue Enchantress'. It sold in Seattle area under the name 'Enchantress' for a couple years, then they added Blue to the name. Sky Nursery in Lynnwood had a big display bench of it with choice of blue or pink (added alkali) grown flowers. has quite large flower heads.