A hydrangea of some kind.

Hydrangea? Okay, shows how much I know about the local plants...thanks so much! Do you know if I can (and how) take a cutting and reproduce it?

btw I am in zone 7b.

Hydrangea macrophylla, Hortensia type. Many kinds of these on the market, they are even grown and sold as a florist pot crop. You can Bing/Google "hydrangea cuttings" for more about that - home plant propagation methodology is like baking a cake, with a bit more involved than is quickly and easily explained on a forum.

The best planting conditions for woody and other long-term plants are in soils that have not been amended. If it seems a particular plant really can't grow in your existing soil change the choice of plant to one that can or change the soil to suit the plant. Change as in digging out and replacement of existing soil, or dumping more suitable soil on top, planting in that - without blending the two together, which would defeat the purpose of bringing in a different soil.

I've grown hydrangea from cuttings; just stick them in a pot of whatever mulch/soil mix I have on hand. However, I live in a warm, humid climate.

You may want to tent your cuttings with clear plastic to keep moisture levels high. Putting them on a shallow tray filled with gravel and water is another way to keep humidity high. Rooting hormone powder might help, too. Keep cuttings in a fairly shady area until they show new growth, then move them out gradually into the sun.

Your hydrangea is currently blue. I understand the blue color is caused by availability of some element (aluminum???), and that is affected by the pH of the soil. Acid soil=blue flowers. Maybe it's growing near pine trees? They make soil more acidic. In less acidic soil, the flowers will likely be pink.

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/hydra is the hydrangea forum here on gardenweb if you want more info.