Wax Flower is the Native Hydrangea Substitute You’ve Been Looking For

Everyone loves hydrangea — their big, fragrant blossoms look out from partial shade in landscape plantings all over the country. And while those lush and dense clusters of flowers are extremely attractive to the human eye, to our native pollinators they’re just OK. Luckily, there’s a native that’s water-wise, bee-friendly and in the same family: Wax flower

Plant This

Wax Flower

• Blooms May to June

• Drought tolerant once established

• Pretty and supports pollinators

  Photo: Dick Culbert (CC BY 2.0)

Not That

Hydrangea

• Blooms June to September

• Always requires deep watering

• Just pretty

  Photo: Syoko Matsumura (CC BY 2.0)

Wax flower goes by a few names here, including Jamesia americana, cliffbush, five petal cliffbush, and cliff jamesia. And no, it isn’t as showy as your typical hydrangea. But it’s form and growth characteristics make it special here. Unlike the hydrangea, the wax flower has smaller leaves and flowers, pointing to the economy of water that our native plants have figured out.

Wax flower is great for partial shade (the east side of a foundation planting, or with afternoon shade from another structure or tree) and is best protected from the afternoon sun. It prefers a well-drained soil and weekly deep watering while it is getting established. Wet springs tend to bring on faster growth. After that, it can tolerate mild drought, but should be perked up when it looks parched.