This one is GORGEOUS! I saw one (yup, just ONE among the very many nurseries that I go to locally!) recently - I really liked it, but I didn't get it in the end because it was not hardy in my climate and also it's rather pricey too... anyway, thank you for showing us your beauty!

Mary,

I'm not surprised as this plant is usually generous enough to give me a second round of blooms each season. The crown buds will shoot up and bloom after the first round on terminal buds are long over and done. It's a very unique and vigorous hydrangea although down here it hasn't put on much overall size. I think it's going to stay pretty compact. I'm always amazed at how long these fragile 'looking' blooms last. Glad you are as happy with it as I am.....yg

I wanted to revive this thread, because I saw some beautiful Fuji Waterfall at a tiny little local nursery today! The foliage was ever so deep green and healthy, and there were a few gorgeous blooms too! The price was $34.99 for a 3 gallon pot, and it's 25% off.

My main concern though, was how hardy it really is. Will it do well in my zone 5 winter? I am guessing probably not... please correct me if I am wrong though!

ostrich.... I am curious (and serious),as to what type of Hydrangea did you find, labeled as 'Fuji Waterfall'?
I have several of them, purchased as 'Fuji Waterfall'. Some are macrophyllas, with large, glossy green leaves and huge double lace-cap flowers. The first ones I purchased were typical serrata's, with small dull green leaves and smaller double lace-cap flowers.
I have used the search engines, listing Hydrangea 'Fuji Waterfall' and found both species listed, even somtimes listed as loose mop-heads.
The nursery that I purchased the serrata 'Waterfalls' from, has decided now to list them as macrophyllas, but the description provided is that of a macrophylla, not the serratas he once sold.
It is all very confusing! I suppose no one seeing them in my garden would care that they are different, but I do know that there is a difference.
You could probably grow either species, with hayseedman's tried and true winter protection method. There are reports that they produce blooms all season, although not for me!
Too bad you aren't headed south for a Bowl game or something, as there is a plant outlet near Atlanta that has some gorgeous 3G size, in bloom, for $10 ea. (macrophyllas) I purchased a few to donate to my Garden Club fund raiser, being held later this month.
Rb

What plant outlet where near Atlanta? I live about 2 hours north, but have been planning to come down shopping in Atlanta later this month. A plant outlet with good deals sounds like a place I won't want to miss.

IECHRIS....
Email me for info re plants.
Your email address is blocked on GW.
Rb

RB...there is much confusion about this plant. American Hydrangea Society calls it (as pictured above; same as mine)Fuji Waterfall, so does the Hydrangea Plus website. Wilkerson Mills originally called it FW and now calls it Hanabi; Dirr's book shows Hanabi as a totally different looking plant altogether. I bought mine labeled and renamed as Shooting Star. Others have purchased Shooting Star that looks more like Dirr's Hanabi. Hence the confusion. To make matters easier,(for me) I refer to mine as Fuji Waterfall as it falls in most closely with most descriptions I've read and the pictures on the AHS website. The thing about FW is that it was originally designated as a serrata but most experts agree that the leaves are too lush, fat and glossy emerald green to be anything but a macrophylla. Therefore, you may find the same FW labeled as a serrata OR as a macrophylla depending on the opinion of the plant labeler. The picture of the bloom above looks much like the blooms that I get later in the season, whereas the first, early season set of blooms have much more dense fertile florets and can have a semi-mophead appearance albeit with dangling double sterile florets. Just to make matters more confusing, there is a serrata called Shirofuji that has a generally similar look on a smaller, tighter bloom scale, but it has serrata type leaves and if not seen in proper scale, it too could easily be mistaken for FW.

This subject matter will be open to debate as it seems everyone thinks that they have or know the "real" Fuji Waterfall, but the bottom line is, there doesn't seem to be a definitive answer as to which one really is FW.

For the life of me, I can't understand the practice of renaming the same plant over and over again. (there ought to be a law against it!) It just adds so much unnecessary confusion for the gardening public. (intended I'm sure) It seems that any attempt to catalog the cultivars is outdated or inaccurate before it hits the printing press! .....yg

By the way Ostrich, FW is listed more toward the southern range (7 - 9) and would absolutely need good winter protection in your zone 5. It is an early riser in Spring as well.....yg

Thanks! Rb, the plants that I saw were labelled as "Fuji Waterfall"... in fact, that was the only name that I knew, until I saw this thread! LOL! Now, you are making me VERY ENVIOUS that you have a plant outlet in Atlanta!!! What other hydrangeas do they have at $10? Good grief, what a deal!

yg, thank you for the info... I am really not the winter protection kinda guy, so I think I will pass on this one then! What a shame cos it's such a beauty... sigh.... oh no, and I have no more space in my garage for yet another big pot! LOL!!!

Dick Tracy at work here!
I have determined that a group of visiting Japanese Nurserymen, saw the macrophylla's labeled as 'Fuji Waterfall' at a NJ nursery and correctly identified them as 'Hanabi'(Japanese name for fireworks)_ (a/k/a 'Sumida no Hanabi',a/k/a 'Fireworks' PPAF).
I am convinced that the name 'Fuji Waterfall' was originally a US marketing name for a Japanese serrata cultivar and the first one's I purchased were definitely serrata's. I suspect that the original cultivar name was 'Shiro tae', because it is just as difficult to establish as the original serrata 'Fuji Waterfall'.
If I can track down a man that would have that information,
then I would know for sure. He is the husband of the lady (now deceased) that introduced many of the Japanese serrata cultivars to the US market.
Then I can stop boring you folks!
Rb

ostrich....Sorry, I didn't intend to ignore your question, just forgot(A senior moment!).
The only other Hydrangea that they had in stock was 'Nikko Blue', same size, same price, but not in bloom. Not much of a market here for Hydrangeas, this time of the year. No blooms, no sale! Although this would be an excellent time to plant them.
Red KO Roses (Radrazz), 3G, in bloom, $12.50 and Crape Myrtles, 4 colors, 3G, in bloom, $8.00, were flying off the lot! Mums weren't open yet, so they were slo-o-o-w movers.
I went there to purchase Camellias for a landscape job. They have better prices than I can get from a wholesale nursery and equal or better quality plants.
Rb

Not boring at all RB!!....You might want to inform Dr. Dirr and the AHS of your findings!!!....Anything you can find out would be interesting, helpful and much appreciated. Thanks....yg

I ordered this Hydrangea from Forestfarm recently hoping that it will do OK without winter protection in my zone 6/7 garden. I asked owner about this name confusion thing. Here is his answer:

First, let me paste in a passage that I found on the internet about Hydrangea Shooting Stars: Shooting Star hydrangea. It is actually a patented variety. The patented is held by a grower in California called Half Moon Bay.

I believe that the true name of this variety is Hanabi which means falling or shooting star in Japanese. That's a real loose translation, however. Some say it means Fireworks or Sky fire. There are several varieties of hydrangea that are close and have the same bloom and cascading effect. We are offering a variety called Fuji Waterfall next year. I suspect this variety is also sold as Shirofuji. They all look so close to each other.

So even reputable sellers are not sure what exactly they sell... A little overwhelming for a newbie like me...

I got one in June at one of my local nurseries, their only (last?) one, all scraggly and falling over, BUT with three or four flower heads on it and I said to myself, "Self, you're crazy if you let this one go by." It's put up lots of new growth and promises to be a nice full plant next year.

-Steve

Alina_1 and all,

I love "Shooting Star" hydrangea and have
More than one version of it, as the
Leaf and flower forms and colors
Can vary a lot -- which happens
Eve more dramatically with that other
Lovely lacecap, "Angel's Parasol."

AND, whatever one may have read, there
Is NOT a single grower named
"Half Moon Bay."

Half Moon Bay is a quiet coastal
Northern California town, which is
Well known as the home to many fine
Flower and pumkin growers, foggy
Mornings, and the half-moons of sand
That the Pacific Ocean currents
Form along the beach every day!

I would love to have the actual patent
Information for "Shooting Star,"
Including the introduction and
Expiration years. Who can provide those???

And, Hana Bay nursery in Half Moon Bay
DOES grow a lot of Shooting Star and Angel's
Parasol which are sold here in northern
California. The Hana Bay plant hang
Tags now proclaim that the nursery is
100 years old!!!

Thank you for any more patent detailsm. : )

Here is a picture of one of my new
" Shooting Star " lacecap hydrangeas,
Which was grown by the 100-year-old
Hana Bay nursery in Half Moon Bay,
California, which is on the coast just
south of San Francisco