Hydrangeas MenuTypes, color, pruning and more
Limelight Prime ® panicle hydrangea . Photo by : Proven Winners .
Hydrangeas are popular shrubs with colorful flowers that bloom through summer and into fall . They usually bloom in shades of blue , purple , and pink , with some selections in whitened , green , or red . Most hydrangea bushes are easygoing to spring up in Zones 3 - 9 and prefer partial shade .
On this page : Basics|Planting|Care|Pictures|Landscaping with Hydrangea
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2025 Hydrangea of the Year:
Little Lime Punch ® panicle hydrangea
HYDRANGEA OVERVIEW
Zones:
sort suitable for zones 3 - 9 .
Height/Spread:
Mature size of it differs depending on the variety show . Some are as small as 3 feet tall and extensive , while others can reach 15 pes tall and 12 feet broad .
Sun or shade?
Most hydrangea plants bloom best in part refinement , but some will permit full shade or full Lord’s Day . The amount of Dominicus they can deal reckon on your location — in areas further northerly they can take more sun , while further in the south they prefer just a few hours of dayspring sunlight .
Bloom time:
Hydrangeas ordinarily flower in summer , with some blossom originally in the season and some later ( and if you ’re lucky , possibly even into fall ) .
Flower color:
Most bloom in shades of gamy , violet or pink , but there are also white , green , and even some red varieties . Many will open one vividness and then deepen colors as they age . Additionally , flower color ( mainly on bigleaf or plenty varieties ) can be manipulated to be more blue , pink or purple depend on soil typography and soil pH levels . Learn more about how tochange the colour of hydrangeas .
Types of hydrangeas:
There are six primary types :
to boot , there is a wide variety of characteristic to choose from : stock - size shrubs , smallerdwarf change , or tall tree - comparable variant . you could also choose from four distinguishable blossom physique : lacecap , panicle , mophead or snowball . There are also types that bloom on sometime Ellen Price Wood , type that bloom on new wood , and type that bloom on both , often referred to as “ reblooming ” or “ remontant ” types .
liken the sizes , short pauperism and bloom clip of the differenthydrangea typesand determine which ones meet your horticulture needs .
Are hydrangeas poisonous?
Leaves and flower buds can be seriously harmful to dog and cats if eaten . See moreCommon Poisonous Plants for Dogs and Cats .
PLANTING HYDRANGEAS
Growing hydrangea successfully set off with the planting process . It ’s all about timing , location and sizeable ground .
When to plant hydrangeas:
Container - buy plants should be planted in spring or fall . Make certain there is no threat of frost when engraft .
Where to plant hydrangeas:
How to plant hydrangeas:
Planting hydrangeas in pots:
Learn to develop hydrangea in deal .
HYDRANGEA CARE & PRUNING
If you wait until springtime to lop your mophead hydrangea ( H. macrophylla ) , be deliberate not to bump off the Modern buds that are form . Photo by : Dorling Kindersley ltd / Alamy Stock Photo .
Pruning hydrangeas:
Many do n’t demand major pruning ; most need just enough to keep them tidy by dispatch old efflorescence and utter stem , meliorate the shrub ’s social organisation or form , or to open it up to get sun and air in .
How and when to rationalise depends on the case you are growing . You ’ll need to determine whether your plant blooms on old wood , newfangled wood , or both before proceeding to prune .
find out more here : How to Prune Hydrangeas .
Soil:
All like well - drained soil that is rich in organic affair . dirt composition can involve the flush color ofH. macrophyllaandH. serrata ; other varieties can abide a range of soil alkalinity .
Learn more here : Changing Hydrangea Color .
Amendments and fertilizer:
Mulch with organic material annually or sum a tedious - release ascend fertiliser ( 15 - 10 - 10 ) with exhaustive tearing before and after lotion . take to feed hydrangeas properly .
Watering hydrangeas:
They like to be kept moist , but not wet — and do n’t let them dry out . Container plants may need daily watering . Add mulch to avail keep soil moist .
Diseases and pests:
mostly not affected by serious disease or louse problems , however , many mintage may be susceptible to some bud blight , bacterial wilting , leaf spot , or mould . Keep an oculus out foraphidsand mites , and do by as needed . Japanese beetlescan be a trouble on oakleaf sort .
Why is my hydrangea not blooming?
This is more common with types that bloom on old Sir Henry Joseph Wood ( last year ’s growing ) . Three common reasons are :
Learn more:8 Reasons Why Your Hydrangeas Wo n’t blossom
HYDRANGEA PICTURES — VARIETIES TO GROW
picture by : Proven Winners .
LIMELIGHT meridian ® —Buy now from Proven WinnersPanicle hydrangea ( H. paniculata )
Zone:3 - 8Exposure : Part Sunday to sunHeight / Spread:4 to 6 feet tall , 4 to 5 foot wideBloom prison term : Early summertime to fallFlower color : Lime green flowers age to pink - red
An improved and more thick form of the ever - democratic ‘ Limelight ’ that blooms earlier for a longer flower display — especially valuable in frigid short - season climates .
2023 National Hydrangea of the twelvemonth
Learn more about’Limelight ' hydrangeas
' LIMELIGHT'—Buy now from Proven WinnersPanicle hydrangea ( H. paniculata )
Zone:3 - 9Exposure : Part Dominicus to sunHeight / Spread:6 - 8 feet tall & wideBloom time : recent summertime through fallFlower coloring material : Lime green , age to white
INCREDIBALL ® —Buy now from Proven WinnersSmooth hydrangea ( H. arborescens )
Zone:3 - 8Exposure : Part sun to sunHeight / Spread:4 - 5 feet tall & wideBloom time : SummerFlower color : White ( also usable in blush )
2022 National Landscape Shrub of the Year
LITTLE LIME PUNCH ® —Buy now from Proven WinnersPanicle hydrangea ( H. paniculata )
Zone:3 - 8Exposure : Part sun to sunHeight / Spread:3 to 5 feet tall , 3 to 5 feet wideBloom prison term : SummerFlower color : Lime green flowers mature to white , light pink , and cryptical red puncher colour
2025 National Hydrangea of the Year
LET ‘S DANCE SKY VIEW ® —Buy now from Proven WinnersSmooth hydrangea ( H. arborescens )
Zone:4 - 9Exposure : Part sun to sunHeight / Spread:2 to 3 feet tall , 2 to 4 foot wideBloom fourth dimension : Summer through fallFlower people of color : Blue , pinkish , or purple bet on grunge chemistry
2024 National Hydrangea of the twelvemonth
PINKY WINKY ® —Buy now from Proven WinnersPanicle hydrangea ( H. paniculata )
Zone:3 - 8Exposure : Part sunshine to sunHeight / Spread:6 - 8 feet marvellous & wideBloom time : Mid - summertime to fallFlower coloration : White to pink
LITTLE QUICK FIRE ® —Buy now from Proven WinnersPanicle hydrangea ( H. paniculata )
Zone:3 - 8Exposure : Part sun to sunHeight / Spread:3 - 5 feet tall & wideBloom time : ahead of time to late summerFlower color : blanched , aging to pink - red2022 National Hydrangea of the Year
For a larger interpretation ( 6 to 8 feet improbable & encompassing ) , tryQuick Fire ® .
TUFF STUFF AH - HA ® —Buy now from Proven WinnersReblooming muckle hydrangea ( H. serrata )
Zone:5 - 9Exposure : Part sun to sunHeight / Spread:2 - 3 human foot tall & wideBloom time : Summer through fallFlower colouring : Blue in acidic soil , pinkish in alkaline soil
2021 National Hydrangea of the yr
INVINCIBELLE ® RUBY — Buy now from Proven WinnersSmooth hydrangea ( H. arborescens )
Zone:3 - 8Exposure : SunHeight / Spread:3 - 4 metrical foot improbable , 2 - 3 feet wideBloom metre : SummerFlower color : Ruby red to silver pink
2020 National Hydrangea of the Year
LET ‘S DANCE ® BLUE jangle ® —Buy now from Proven WinnersBigleaf hydrangea ( H. macrophylla )
Zone:5 - 9Exposure : Part sunlight to sunHeight / Spread:1 - 2 feet improbable , 2 - 3 feet wideBloom fourth dimension : SummerFlower color : Blue in acidulent soil , pink in alkaline soil
BOBO ® —Buy now from Proven WinnersPanicle hydrangea ( H. paniculata )
Zone:3 - 8Exposure : Part sunlight to sunHeight / Spread:3 feet tall , 3 - 4 feet wideBloom time : summertime to fallFlower color : White , age to pink
FIRE LIGHT ® —Buy now from Proven WinnersPanicle hydrangea ( H. paniculata )
Zone:3 - 8Exposure : Part Lord’s Day to sunHeight / Spread:6 - 8 pes tall & wideBloom time : SummerFlower color : snowy , aging to red
picture by : Ellen McKnight / Shutterstock.com .
ENDLESS SUMMER ® Bigleaf hydrangea ( H. macrophylla’Balimer ' )
Zone:4 - 9Exposure : Part sun to sunHeight / Spread:3 - 5 feet grandiloquent & wideBloom time : recent spring until fallFlower color : down in acid soil , pinkish in alkaline soil
Photo by : ANGHI / Shutterstock.com .
' NIKKO BLUE’Bigleaf hydrangea ( H. macrophylla )
Zone:5 - 9Exposure : Part sunHeight / Spread:4 - 6 feet tall & wideBloom time : Early summerFlower vividness : Blue in acidic soil , pinkish hue in alkaline territory
Photo by : My Rubio Garden / Shutterstock.com .
VANILLA STRAWBERRY ™ Panicle hydrangea ( H. paniculata )
Zone:4 - 8Exposure : Sun to part shadeHeight / Spread:6 - 7 fundament grandiloquent & wideBloom time : Mid - summer to fallFlower color : White , aging to strawberry cerise ; red bow
LANDSCAPING WITH HYDRANGEAS
hydrangea can spiel many roles in the garden , from hedging and screen to container plants , and they specially shine in borders .
See what to implant with your hydrangeas:20 Best fellow Plants for hydrangea
