Quick overview of one of the easiest and most ornamental shrubs for the home garden. Old fashioned? They do have a place in cottage gardens, but they work surprisingly well in modern designs and there are so many new varieties that maybe this will guide you to give them a try.
Types of Hydrangeas
23 species of Hydrangea 5 are commonly cultivated- Mophead, Hydrangea macrophylla big, round flowers made of mainly sterile florets.
- Lacecaps, H. macrophylla normalis delicate lacy flowers because they have a central area of fertile flowers surrounded by a circle of sterile florets.
- ‘Annabelle’ types, H. arborescens are big round cream-white balls of flowers on stiffer stems then the mopheads. All around more hardy and will spread.
- Oakleaf hydrangea, H. quercifolia best landscape choice with elongated flowerheads. Florets turn pink when aging.
- PeeGee, Hydrangea paniculata large treelike plants with late flowers that extend the season. Cone shape flower heads.
Lesser Known Garden Hydrangeas
- Mountain hydrangea (H. serrata)
- Climbing Hydrangea, (H. petiolaris)
Cultivation
Hydrangeas in the North: Getting Blooms in the Colder ClimatesFertilize? May and JulyWhen Should You Prune Hydrangeas?
Mopheads
- Needs plenty of moisture
- Ideally, morning sun and afternoon shade
- No heavy shade and competition from tree roots
- Moist soil, but good drainage
- Give a 4 ft. X 4 ft. space
- Plant in late spring or early fall
- Doesn’t need pruning, just late winter cleanup of old stalks.
Lacecap Garden Hydrangea
- Sun to part shade
- Protect from cold
- Must have moisture
- Form flower buds August through September
- Benefits from mulch
Use mulch to conserve moisture and add humus
Annabelle
- Morning sun and afternoon shade, but full sun is fine in the North
- Tolerant of less than ideal moisture, average conditions will sit it.
- Extremely hardy
- Give room, it will spread.
- Plant in late spring or early fall
- Doesn’t need pruning
Oakleaf
- Sun to part shade
- Does well in drier conditions than other hydrangeas
- Very hardy
- It will spread, 6 ft to 10 ft.
- Needs well-drained soil.
Paniculata
- Needs sun
- Hardy to Zone 3
- Best in a sheltered spot
- 8-10 feet tall and wide
- Can be pruned for larger blooms
Don’t plant too deeply; keep plant at level that it was grown in its pot.
Good Varieties
Macros
‘All Summer Beauty’
‘Endless Summer’
‘Blushing Bride’
‘Forever and Ever Peppermint’
‘Mariesii Perfecta’
Oakleaf
‘Snowflake’
‘Snow Queen’
‘Sikes Dwarf’
‘Pee Wee’
Paniculata
‘Grandiflora’
‘Limelight’
‘Tardiva’
‘Bobo’
“Making Flowers Blue”
Apply aluminum sulfate. Or use an acidifying fertilizer, low in phosphorus and high in potassium, to decrease the pH of the soil to make your garden hydrangeas retain their blue hue. You must have the right variety to begin with, like ‘Endless Summer‘.
Make More Plants
from Southern Living via Pinterest
Having Fun With Hydrangeas
- They make spectacular floral arrangements, especially as wedding flowers.
- Good dried flower material
