HYDRANGEA macrophylla
'Nigra'
THE BLACK STEM HYDRANGEA
'Nigra' is a lovely hydrangea with pastel blooms. While this alone would be a good reason for growing it, Nigra is admired mainly for its interesting black stems. No collector would be without it. 
Nigra is easy to grow, likes part shade (especially afternoon shade), and rich soil. In other words, it is a typical macrophylla (mophead) hydrangea.
You may be wondering about the blue/pink/lavender color of the hydrangeas on this page. This is not characteristic of Nigra imparticular. Rather, it is typical of hydrangeas which recently have been planted or transplanted. Most all of the colored hydrangeas will do this.
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