My SO just moved into a place in WA, semi-sunny where these are. I have no idea what they are.

We've only seen them in this season, so we don't know if or when they flower, or even whether they are frost-hardy. They look totally happy right now, but I don't think nights have been below 40 there yet.

I'm assuming they must be perennial, since the yard looks mostly no-maintenance.

They flank her front door. We're about to replace them with two Knockout Roses, but we're wondering if they are worth trying to transplant.

If they flower, or are green all winter ... those would be pluses. But her yard is tiny, and the sunny spot is really tiny, so they will only be transplanted if we love them.

Thanks in advance!

Plant #1:




Plant #2:

The foliage reminds me of Hydrangea but I really don't have a clue ... pretty though!

Thanks, Lin!

Looking it up, I see hydrangeas are perennial, and the most commonly grown varieties drop their leaves in cold seasons. Maybe this is not flowering now just because it's too young?

I know Becky likes hydrangeas, so if we can confirm that, we might try to find a spot.

Or I'll put them in 5 gallon pots and try to keep them alive until we know for sure.

I may be way off track, but I think I recall seeing a plant like this in Jo Ann's garden. Let's see if @ge1836 can help.

I thought hydrangea too, at first, but now I'm not so sure.

I appreciate the help!

I wonder how different leaves can be, without blooms, in narrowing down the thousands or millions of possible species.

I would have tried to get shots from under the leaves, showing stem structure, but it was a very short visit and these were shot on-the-fly. hence the blurry photos!

My first thought was hydrangeas on the first plant.Believe me I am not an expert but my hydes leaf out on heavier stems.
No idea about the second plant,might be some sort of Vibernum and this is a far out guess.

Thanks, Jo Ann!

At this point, Becky is leaning toward "I already have one hydrangea, and there is no room after we add the KO Roses".

I'm leaning toward "I can't bear to kill a healthy plant, so I'll find out if they can survive in 5 gallon plastic pots in my Zone 8b yard".

Hmm, "Search by Characteristics" doesn't seem to have an option for "minimum hardiness Zone N or higher".

Spot checking, I see one hydrangea that's hardy to Zone 6, and many with no hardiness listed.
Googling:

"The majority of hydrangeas tend to be warm weather plants.
They do best when temperatures remain above freezing year round."

"Most bigleaf hydrangeas thrive in zones 6 to 8"

Maybe I should move it to my sheltered porch during the winter.

Viburnum sounds plenty hardy.

Rick: If it is indeed Hydrangea, I think it can survive Washington winters:

http://clark.wsu.edu/volunteer...

http://www.pallensmith.com/art...

Edited to add: Also a climbing Hydrangea zone 4-7 (@ mid-way down this page) but I doubt it's that one: http://www.nwcb.wa.gov/publica...

Thanks, Lin!

Plant #1 certainly looks like a hydrangea.

Plant #2 I am not sure, but it's not a viburnum. Viburnums have woody stems right out to the ends of the twigs, too.
Considering the location (flanking the door with another hydrangea), I think it might be a different variety of hydrangea. Don't know, but they have enough "hydrangea characteristics" to be within the realm. And there is nothing that says "not a hydrangea" in your pics.

That seems to be the consensus, and I'm going with it.

>> Considering the location (flanking the door with another hydrangea)

I agree. They seem to be a pair, and to have been planted at the same time, probably recently since they have not flowered yet (maybe to help sell the house).

I think I should close this soon, and if I do get them through the winter in pots, re-open it with photos of blooms.