Hydrangea Plant Profile

Care, Uses, Maintenance and Varieties of Hydrangea Shrubs

© Angela England

Aug 15, 2007
Hydrangea flowers grow in large, bloom clusters., Teresa Boggess
A favorite garden shrub for generations the Hydrangea evokes charm and grace with its large flower clusters and long season of bloom. Grow a hydrangea in your garden!

Cultivation Information and How to Grow Hydrangea Shrubs

Botanical and Common Name: Hydrangea plants are usually called by their botonical name.

Plant Category: Hydrangeas are deciduous shrubs which means they loose their leaves in the winter.

Bloom Time and Color: Hydrangeas can bloom from early spring through early fall with large flower clusters in white, pink or blue.

Foliage: Hydrangea shrubs usually have large leaves that are oval, slightly heart shaped, or moderately lobed like an oak leaf.

Growth Habit: Hydrangea shrubs can grow in full, bushy clumps that add a bold-leaved texture to container, bed or border.

Dimensions: Dwarf forms grow only a couple feet tall and are suitable for large containers, however most hydrangea shrubs grow 5-8' tall and 6-10' wide.

Maintenance: Hydrangea shrubs are easy to grow as long as they are provided enough water. Prune lightly as needed to removed dead or damaged branches, and control the suckering tendencies of some hydrangea shrubs.

Pests or Diseases: Powdery mildew can be a problem for hydrangea bushes so be sure to check for infected leaves which should be removed and disposed of safely (not in your compost bin).

Propagation Methods: Hydrangea shrubs are usually best purchased as started plants but are easily stressed by drought conditions so be sure to buy healthy plants.

Using Hydrangea Shrubs in the Garden Landscape

Preferred Conditions: Hydrangeas are hardy in zones 3-10 depending on the cultivar. Hydrangea shrubs prefer rich, moist soil and part-shade although full sun is tolerated in cooler climates. Soil PH between 4.5 to 5 will turn the flower clusters of some hydrangeas blue while soil PH above 6.3 will turn the hydrangea flowers pink.

Companion Plants: Hydrangea shrubs can be planted in acidic soil and make great foreground accent plants in front ofevergreen shrubs like Camellias or azaleas. Other moist-loving, shade tolerant plants include Dicentra (Bleeding Heart), Hellebores, or Ferns.

Seasons of Interest: Hydrangea shrubs are interesting year-round in the garden as they flower spring through fall and winter seedheads remain attractive.

Uses in the Garden: Use hydrangeas as a floral accent in the middle of a bed or border in front of evergreen trees or evergreen shrubs. Or plant hydrangea shrubs as under story plantings beneath deciduous or woodland trees.

Other Hydrangea Uses:The large flower clusters that hydrangea shrubs produce are often dried for indoor flower arrangements or used in crafts.

Hydrangea Varieties and Cultivars

  • (Hydrangea anomala petiolaris) Climbing Hydrangea Zone 4-8. A vining hydrangea that climbs easily up walls, fences or trees because the vine has little holdfasts and needs little, if any, support. The climbing hydrangea has showy white flower heads and cinnamon colored bark.
  • Hydrangea macrophylla Zones 5-11. Called the Bigleaf Hydrangea, these beautiful shrubs are great in a wide variety of garden situations. Prune these hydrangeas after blooms fade and keep the plant well watered. Many named cultivars are available including 'Bailmer' (Endless Summer Hydrangea), 'Dardom' (White Dome Hydrangea), and 'Tokoyo Delight'.
  • Hydrangea arborescens Zones 3-9. This hydrangea is prone to suckering if left unpruned and since it blooms on new wood you can prune this hydrangea more severely.

The copyright of the article Hydrangea Plant Profile in Plants & Bulbs is owned by Angela England. Permission to republish Hydrangea Plant Profile in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.


Hydrangea winter seedheads for year round beauty, Courtesy of Proven Winners
Hydrangea flowers grow in large, bloom clusters., Teresa Boggess
     


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Comments
Aug 30, 2008 6:24 PM
Guest :
New to gardening - what to do to winterize the plant - cut back? How much?
Sep 11, 2008 9:15 AM
Angela England :
I usually prefer to leave my Hydrangea shrubs intact over the winter to add interest. Hydrangea seed heads will dry in attractive fashion. Then in early spring when I'm preparing my flower beds for the new growing year I will prune the plant back to make room for the new growth.
Oct 3, 2008 7:36 AM
Guest :
If I do not wish to leave for the winter as we get several feet of snow, is it OK to totally cut it back to abour 4-6 inches??
Oct 6, 2008 8:43 AM
Angela England :
You certainly can prune the Hydrangea back in the winter since most of the hydrangea plants readily available bloom on new wood. That means the new growth they produce each year will have blossoms on it.

Some of the heirloom varieties bloom on old wood and you would want to prune the shrubs right after blooms fade. This allows new growth to develop so you'll have good flowering the following season.

Most Hydrangeas will bloom on new or old wood and are more forgiving of pruning "whenever". :-)
Oct 20, 2008 7:19 AM
Guest :
Our Hydrangea -about 5 years old- has only bloomed one in that time, and then the blooms were deep inside of the foliage. We do cut it back each fall. Is this our problem?
Oct 22, 2008 5:11 PM
Angela England :
If your hydrangea is not blooming well you might try letting it go a year without pruning to see if that will encourage more flower clusters. Hydrangeas may skip one year of blooming sometimes without a clear reason, but gardeners should certainly expect to see more than one year of blooms in five.
6 Comments