Selecting a Hydrangea for Your Garden

Hydrangeas are one of the most sought-after shrubs in North America!  Known for their nostalgia as well as their modern design appeal, hydrangeas are a perfect fit in the landscape, a container garden, or used as cut flowers.

The word origin of hydrangea comes from the Greek words for water, hydros and jar, angos because some species are quite water thirsty. The hydrangea was first cultivated in Japan but is native to both Asia and the Americas.

When choosing a hydrangea:

Keep in mind these things: your growing hardiness zone, available space (they can get quite big!), soil makeup, moisture levels, and amount of sunlight received per day. To find your hardiness zone, click here then enter your zip code. More than twenty species of Hydrangeas exist!

The four most popular hydrangeas in North America…

Pruning your Hydrangea:

Pruning: depends on the species of hydrangea:

• Bigleaf (Hydrangea macrophylla) require very little pruning and bloom on growth from current and previous years, thus too much pruning removes potential blooms.
• Smooth (Hydrangea arborescens) bloom on “new wood” so they should be pruned in late winter or early spring. Pruning encourages new growth, which produces flowers.
• Panicle (Hydrangea paniculata) should be cut back, at most, 1/3 to 1/2 in late winter, and not to the ground like a smooth hydrangea. Learn more here
• Oakleaf (Hydrangea quercifolia) bloom on previous season’s growth so prune right after flowering.

Pink or Blue Flowers?

One of the most common questions about hydrangeas is how to get blue flowers. You can change a pink hydrangea flower to blue by changing your soil’s pH. (You cannot change the color white or green flowered varieties). Only two hydrangea types undergo significant color changes depending on the soil: Bigleaf and the less common Mountain hydrangeas.

To get blue flowers, there must be aluminum (which is present in most soils) in the soil. In acid, to neutral soils, this isn’t a problem. But in alkaline soils, the roots can’t take up the aluminum and the flowers will be pink. Do a soil test to find out what you have.

If your soil is acid to neutral, and your flowers are pink, but you’d like blue, apply some granular aluminum sulfate, sulfur or iron sulfate to acidify the soil. If your soil is alkaline, you can try to acidify it by working in lots of organic material and adding elemental sulfur gradually over several years.

Ask a local expert for advice on what works best in your area. Always follow package directions carefully. It may take several months or a season for it to work.

Uses in the Garden

Hydrangeas can be used in so many ways in your garden, from a focal point to establishing a border and filling the foundation around your house. And they don’t just have to be planted in the landscape anymore either. Many hydrangeas, especially the newer varieties, are more compact and do incredibly well in a decorative pot. And don’t forget to cut some blooms for an indoor flower arrangement. You’ll defintely enjoy the Year of the Hydrangea!

• 4 Hydrangea Myths Busted by National Garden Bureau
• The Best Time to Prune Your Hydrangea by National Garden Bureau
• Preparing Your Hydrangeas for Winter by National Garden Bureau
• Blooming Hydrangeas Guaranteed! by National Garden Bureau
• Hydrangea Check Up Time by National Garden Bureau
• Hydrangea Danger Zone by National Garden Bureau
• Shrubs for Cutting Gardens: Roses, Hydrangeas, and Other Long-Lasting Flowers by National Garden Bureau
• Ask The Experts about Hydrangea Webinar
• How do I protect my potted Hydrangea in the winter by Black Gold
• Hydrangea Obsession, Now and (seemingly) Forever by Bloomin’ Easy
• Endless Summer Hydrangea Resources by Endless Summer Hydrangeas/Bailey Nurseries

Interested in buying Hydrangeas for your garden? Click the links below to shop our members: