Year of the Hydrangea
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…
Bigleaf (Hydrangea macrophylla):
The most common type in North America, Bigleaf hydrangeas have the classic mophead – or open lacecap – bloom reminiscent of Cape Cod’s signature plant. With blooms of blue, pink, purple, and more, these classic hydrangea flowers bring color to areas with morning sun, some afternoon shade, and moist, well-drained soil. Avoid planting Bigleaf hydrangea on hot, dry, exposed sites.
Well-known varieties include:
Smooth (Hydrangea arborescens):
With a big, white (or sometimes pink) pompom bloom, these native hydrangeas are sometimes called ‘Annabelle,’ which is one of the most popular cultivar names. Perfect for full sun or dappled shade (in hotter climates) locations.
Well-known varieties include:
Panicle (Hydrangea paniculata):
Panicle hydrangeas have gorgeous cone-shaped blooms that emerge white in mid-summer and age to various shades of lime, parchment, pink, and red as fall nights cool down. These hydrangeas are some of the most cold-hardy, many will survive up to zone 3, making this the perfect choice for colder climates. Panicle hydrangea’s upright form means it can be pruned into a tree form.
Well-known varieties include:
Oakleaf (Hydrangea quercifolia):
Aptly named, this hydrangea is accented by leaves that resemble an oak tree. One of the earliest blooming species of hydrangea, the incredible foliage also gets amazing fall color. Native to North America, this woodland species is well adapted to the American landscape. In northern or cooler climates, oakleaf hydrangeas do well in full sun to light shade but in southern or warmer climates, some afternoon sun protection is advised. They will grow best in rich, well-drained, slightly acidic soils.
Well-known varieties include:
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!
Learn more about the Year of the Hydrangeas from our NGB members…
- 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 Checkup Time by National Garden Bureau
- How to choose the Best Hydrangea by American Meadows
- How do I protect my potted Hydrangea in the winter by Black Gold
- When to prune Hydrangeas by Gardener’s Supply
- Hydrangea Obsession, Now and (seemingly) Forever by Bloomin’ Easy
- Explore Hydrangeas! by Proven Winners ColorChoice
- 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:
National Garden Bureau recognizes and thanks Bailey Nurseries, an NGB member, as author of this Year of the Hydrangea fact sheet.
This fact sheet is provided as an educational service of the National Garden Bureau. There are no limitations on the use but please credit National Garden Bureau when using all or parts of this article or referencing the Year of the program.
Please consider our NGB member companies as authoritative sources for information. Click on the Member Directory for details about our members. Gardeners looking for seed and plant sources should select “Shop Our Members” at the top of our homepage.
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New Little Lime Hydrangea
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Success With Hydrangeas, A Gardener’s Guide
This book gives you the information you need to grow the best hydrangeas you can via 13 color-coded chapters including feeding, transplanting, hardiness, and propagation.
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