[PLANT PROFILE] HYDRANGEA PANICULATA

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HYDRANGEA

PANICULATA

Panicle Hydrangeas

Panicle Hydrangeas are the no fuss hydrangea with long lasting blooms. They range in size from large to compact depending on variety, allowing for many planting options in the landscape. A late blooming shrub, they become the autumn stars when most other shrubs are no longer blooming. Triggered by air temperature fluctuations and day length Hydrangea paniculata go through a color transformation starting with an early summer white that fades to shades of pink or red before drying to beige in the winter. Their nectar-rich flowers attract butterflies and bees late into the season, providing them with a vital food source.

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HYDRANGEA PANICULATA ATTRIBUTES

• Panicle Hydrangeas thrive in full sun or morning sun, a place in the garden that mophead hydrangeas don’t flourish.

• They bloom on new growth each summer so prune early in spring. There is also no risk of flower buds being harmed by the cold winter or late frost because they bloom on this years growth.

• As the rest of the garden winds down, the fall panicle hydrangeas take center stage.

• Flowers can even be left to dry on the plant in the fall and can stay looking good into the winter.

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Uses:

* Variety of sizes means there’s a perfect fit for most situations

* Smaller specimens ideal for foundation, mass or container planting

* Larger specimens ideal for hedges and back of the garden

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Quick Fire Hydrangea

hydrangea paniculata

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Limelight

Limelight Prime

Little Lime

Quick Fire

Little Quick Fire

Bobo (dwarf variety)

Grandiflora

Phantom

Fire Light

Hydrangea paniulata Bobo

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[PLANT PROFILE] HYDRANGEA

HYDRANGEAS

If you have a garden then most likely there is a good spot for a hydrangea. There are so many different varieties, sizes and light requirements that there is something for everyone. Panicle hydrangeas are your late bloomers that can withstand full sun; mopheads are shade loving hydrangeas; there are dwarf options for smaller gardens; large ones for back of garden; and most of them do well in containers. Oak leaf hydrangeas are bee magnets and there is even a northeast native that provides a valuable food source for the hydrangea sphinx moth. Hydrangeas mix well in both the cultivated and natural garden with their broad leaves complimenting the finer foliage textures of other plants and shrubs.

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HYDRANGEA

MACROPHYLLA

Big Leaf, Mophead or Lacecap

The genus name Hydrangea comes from hydor meaning "water" and aggeion meaning "vessel", in reference to the cup-like flower.

• A deciduous shrub with a rounded habit that typically grows 3-6’ tall and as wide unless damaged by harsh winters or pruned smaller.

• Mophead Hydrangeas produce ball shaped flower clusters

• Lacecap Hydrangeas produce small flowers surrounded by a ring of larger flowers

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Lacecap Hydrangea

Endless Summer, a newer macrophylla(mophead) that blooms on new growth instead of last years stems, so flower buds don’t get frosted in a severe winter or late spring frost.

GROWING HYDRANGEA MACROPHYLLA

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• Best grown in rich, medium moisture, well-drained soils in part shade. Tolerates full sun only if grown in consistently moist soils.

• Soil pH affects the flower color of most cultivars except white (blue in highly acidic soils and lilac to pink in slightly acidic to alkaline soils). Add aluminum sulfate to the soil to make the flowers bluer or add lime to the soil to make the flowers pinker. Begin soil treatments well in advance of flowering, as in late autumn or early spring.

• Plants generally need little pruning. If needed, prune immediately after flowering by cutting back flowering stems to a pair of healthy buds. Prune out weak or winter-damaged stems in late winter/early spring.

• Best to mulch plants year-round with 3" of shredded bark, peat or compost.

• Winter hardy but planted in sheltered locations gives additional winter protection. Regardless of protective measures taken, most bigleaf hydrangeas simply will not bloom (or will bloom poorly) in some years due to a variety of winter conditions. Some newer cultivars have been selected that flower on both old and new wood.

  'Hydranges Bloomstruck' blooms on both old and new growth, has strong stems and is resistant to powdery mildew.

Nikko Blue

hydrangea macrophylla

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Nikko Blue

Endless Summer

Bloomstruck

Blue Enchantress

Penny Mac

Glowing Embers

Lanarth White

Blushing Bride

Hydrangea Seaside Serenade Cape Lookout

USES

____________

* Group or mass in the

shrub border.

* A specimen or accent

for foundations and

other locations

near homes or patios.

* Hedges

* Containers

Late season spent flowers of Hydrangea macrophylla

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HYDRANGEA

PANICULATA

Panicle Hydrangeas

Panicle Hydrangeas are the no fuss hydrangea with long lasting blooms. They range in size from large to compact depending on variety, allowing for many planting options in the landscape. A late blooming shrub, they become the autumn stars when most other shrubs are no longer blooming. Triggered by air temperature fluctuations, hydrangea panicle go through a color transformation starting with an early summer white that fades to shades of pink or red before drying to beige in the winter. Their nectar-rich flowers attract butterflies and bees late into the season, providing them with a vital food source.

View fullsize

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Panicle Hydrangea Little Lime

HYDRANGEA PANICULATA ATTRIBUTES

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• Panicle Hydrangeas thrive in full sun or morning sun, a place in the garden that mophead hydrangeas don’t flourish.

• Bloom on new growth each summer so there is no risk of flower buds being harmed by the cold winter or late frost.

• As the rest of the garden winds down, the fall panicle hydrangeas take center stage.

• Flowers can even be left to dry on the plant in the fall and can stay looking good into the winter.

Quick Fire Hydrangea

hydrangea paniculata

**********

Limelight

Limelight Prime

Little Lime

Quick Fire

Little Quick Fire

Bobo (dwarf variety)

Bobo

USES

____________

* Variety of sizes means

there’s a perfect fit for

most situations

* Smaller specimens ideal for

foundation, mass or

container planting

* Larger specimens ideal for

hedges and back of the

garden

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

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HYDRANGEA

QUERCIFOLIA

Oakleaf Hydrangea

Oak leaf hydrangeas have beautiful large leaves similarly shaped to an oak leaf. The flower panicles are large, white and attract many bees. In autumn the leaves turn to a reddish hue. foliage transitions from green to maroon, falling off in winter to reveal beautiful exfoliating bark. Beyond its impressive foliage, the flowers also put on an exquisite show, changing from white to a stunning pink or red as the plant matures. Oak leaf hydrangeas prefer partial shade.

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Oak Leaf hydrangea on the highline in NYC vibrating with bees.

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HYDRANGEA

ANOMALA PETIOLARIS

Climbing Hydrangea

“First it sleeps, then it creeps and then it leaps.” This old adage seems to speak directly to the climbing hydrangea. This vine is slow to start but once it gets establish after a couple years it leaps! A vigorous vine with lush green foliage blanketed by beautiful lace cap white blooms. This hydrangea has year round interest, with their long lasting summer blooms that dry beautifully on the vine in autumn and when the leaves have fallen gorgeous exfoliating bark is revealed. Climbing hydrangea can thrive in full sun to shade. It can be planted on sturdy structures, like stone or brick walls, chimneys, and houses

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HYDRANGEA

ARBORESCENS

Smooth Hydrangea

Hydrangea arborescens, our native hydrangea, is found along rocky wooded slopes, ravines, streambanks, and bluff bases in the eastern United States. Smooth hydrangea is the host plant of the hydrangea sphinx moth and attacts butterflies, moths, pollinators and songbirds. The blooms are on new wood and can be pruned back close to the ground in late winter. Several cultivars have flowers that make a ball-shaped bloom. It is low growing and stacks well beneath taller trees and shrubs.

Hydrangea arborescens cultivars we carry:

Annabelle and the newer Invincible Spirit

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Hydrangea Annabelle

USES

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*Planted in mass

*Native specimen

*Pollinator garden

*Rain garden

*Shade garden

*Grows well on a slope,

naturalized area or

in a woodland

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FERTILIZE HYDRANGEAS IN EARLY SUMMER

All hydrangeas tend to grow better when they are fertilized, even the native ones.

If you missed feeding your plants early in the season when you did your spring clean up, you can make up for that now (before August 1). The plants that respond best to fertilizer this time of year are the rebloomers: big leaf (macrophylla), mountain (serrata) and woodland/smooth (arborescens) varieties. You may want to help them produce those reblooming flowers to carry your garden through to the end of the season

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gardening tips

JUNE

events

garden talks at the nursery

Hydrangea [illustration by karen blackerby logan]

OVERWINTERING HYDRANGEAS

Protecting

Hydrangeas in Winter

The cool weather is here so let’s make sure our hydrangeas are ready for winter! Here are some simple guidelines to help keep your hydrangeas healthy for next summer.

Overwintering

Hydrangea

Checklist

1. Stop Fertilizing

2. Don’t Prune

3. Water Until Frost

4. Insulate Plants

5. Bring Plants Inside

* LEARN MORE *

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Summer Blooming Shrubs Affected By Late Spring Freeze 

Did you wonder why your beautiful summer blooming shrubs did not perform as well this year?

Many of you asked why your typically prolific summer blooming shrubs like Mophead Hydrangeas, Vitex and Butterfly Bushes had died back so heavily this summer. The reason this occurred was due to warm temperatures in the spring followed by a cold snap. The temperature dropped below five degrees for two days and the plants had not fully acclimated. These plants are typically well adapted to the lows of our hardiness zone but the temperature dropped below that zone. The good news is the ground did not freeze so most of those shrubs survived. When cut back to the new growth they flowered.

The shrubs most affected by the freeze that our commonly used in Vineyard landscapes:

Budleia_ Butterfly Bush

- VITEX

- BUTTERFLY BUSH

- CARYOPTERIS

- CREPE MYRTLE

- BLUE MOPHEAD

HYDRANGEA

Caryopteris x clandonensis

SALE

closing for the season sale!

EVERGREENS

for screening

[PLANT PROFILE] HYDRANGEA MACROPHYLLA

Hydrangea

macrophylla

Big Leaf Hydrangea

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HYDRANGEA MACROPHYLLA (Big Leaf Hydrangea)

The genus name Hydrangea comes from hydor meaning "water" and aggeion meaning "vessel", in reference to the cup-like capsular fruit.

• A deciduous shrub with a rounded habit that typically grows 3-6’ tall and as wide unless damaged by harsh winters or pruned smaller.

• Generally features serrate, obovate to elliptic, dark green leaves (4-8” long) and large clusters of long-blooming summer flowers in either lacecap form (flattened flower clusters of small fertile florets with scattered showy sterile florets often forming a marginal ring) or mophead form (globose flower clusters of mostly showy sterile florets).

'Penny Mac' was first introduced into commerce by Penny McHenry of Atlanta, Georgia

(founder of The American Hydrangea Society)

Hydrangea Seaside Serenade Cape Lookout

GROWING HYDRANGEA MACROPHYLLA

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• Best grown in rich, medium moisture, well-drained soils in part shade. Tolerates full sun only if grown in consistently moist soils.

• Soil pH affects the flower color of most cultivars except white (blue in highly acidic soils and lilac to pink in slightly acidic to alkaline soils). Add aluminum sulfate to the soil to make the flowers bluer or add lime to the soil to make the flowers pinker. Begin soil treatments well in advance of flowering, as in late autumn or early spring.

• Plants generally need little pruning. If needed, prune immediately after flowering by cutting back flowering stems to a pair of healthy buds. Prune out weak or winter-damaged stems in late winter/early spring.

• Best to mulch plants year-round with 3" of shredded bark, peat or compost.

• Winter hardy to USDA Zone 6. For added protection, however, plants grown in USDA Zone 5 should be sited in sheltered locations and given additional winter protection, as needed, for the purposes of minimizing the risk of loss of significant numbers of flower buds or possible die-back to the ground in an extremely harsh winter. A burlap wrap of stems or circle of chicken wire filled with leaves or straw to 8-12" are time-consuming and visually unattractive landscape options, but can be effective. Regardless of protective measures taken, most bigleaf hydrangeas simply will not bloom (or will bloom poorly) in some years because of a variety of winter occurrences beyond the control of the gardener (e.g. low temperatures, sudden wide temperature fluctuations, icy conditions, late frosts). Some newer cultivars have been selected that flower on both old and new wood. Their pruning and flowering can differ from that of the species.

  'Penny Mac' blooms on both old and new growth and is winter hardy to USDA Zone 5. This means ‘Penny Mac’ will reliably flower each year, regardless of winter temperature or added protection.

USES

____________

* Group or mass in the

shrub boarder.

* A specimen or accent

for foundations and

other locations

near homes or patios.

* Hedges

* Containers

Late season spent flowers of Hydrangea macrophylla

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FERTILIZE HYDRANGEAS IN EARLY SUMMER

All hydrangeas tend to grow better when they are fertilized, even the native ones.

If you missed feeding your plants early in the season when you did your spring clean up, you can make up for that now (before August 1). The plants that respond best to fertilizer this time of year are the rebloomers: big leaf (macrophylla), mountain (serrata) and woodland/smooth (arborescens) varieties. You want to help them produce those reblooming flowers to carry your garden through to the end of the season

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Fertilizing Hydrangeas

Early Summer

Pollinator Garden Styles

Inspirations

Hydrangea [illustration by karen blackerby logan]

FERTILIZING HYDRANGEAS

FERTILIZING HYDRANGEAS IN EARLY SUMMER

by Lorraine Ballato

July 5, 2022 / Fertilizing Hydrangeas, Hydrangea macrophylla (Bigleaf), Hydrangea serrata (Mountain)

I have spent the past 2 days fertilizing my hydrangeas. Which ones, you ask. Well, read on about Fertilizing Hydrangeas In Early Summer.

My experience is that all hydrangeas grow better when they are fertilized, even the native ones. It’s one of the lessons I learned from our Covid lockdown. I actually had the time to do this and, WOW! did it pay off.

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WHY FEED YOUR PLANTS IN EARLY SUMMER

If you missed feeding your plants early in the season when you did your spring clean up, you can make up for that now. BTW, “now” in the northern hemisphere means before August 1. That’s because fertilizing will stimulate your plant and you don’t want to do that too late in the season.

The plants that respond best to fertilizer this time of year are the rebloomers: big leaf (macrophylla), mountain (serrata) and woodland/smooth (arborescens) varieties. You want to help them produce those reblooming flowers to carry your garden through to the end of the season.

HOW TO DETERMINE IF YOU HAVE A REBLOOMER

If you don’t know if your mountain or big leaf hydrangea is a rebloomer, look to see where the flowers are positioned. If they are coming from along the sides of the stems, you have rebloomer. It’s that simple.

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Reblooming hydrangea flowers along length of the stem

FEEDING YOUR PLANTS

There are differing opinions on fertilizing your hydrangeas. I am firmly in the camp of helping hydrangeas thrive and have learned it is especially beneficial if your soil needs  improvement. A soil test will help you figure that out. The results of fertilizing are more than encouraging and I am convinced this is a worthwhile practice.

THE REASONS TO FERTILIZE HYDRANGEAS IN EARLY SUMMER

Remember that on rebloomers, the more you cut the tips, the more flowers you will get along the stem for later season color. So your rebloomers will appreciate the extra nutrients to continue to put out new flowers. Deadheading and/or cutting flowers for bouquets also stimulate the plant to grow new stems for future flowers. So don’t be reluctant to do that and add beauty to your indoor spaces (office, kitchen, etc.).

Even if your plant is not a rebloomer, the mid-season fertilizer will help it set buds for next year later this season. It’s not rocket science.

FEEDING OTHER KINDS OF HYDRANGEAS

Feeding your other hydrangeas, although helpful, isn’t necessary. The old wood bloomers are all pretty self sufficient, unless you have an issue that needs to be remedied. Or you missed feeding them earlier this season.

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Panicle hydrangea used as companion plant for a stand of woodland hydrangeas

THE BEST FERTILIZER FOR HYDRANGEAS

Rose food is ideal as is any granulated shrub fertilizer, either organic or a time release product. I don’t recommend products like 10-10-10. No plant uses nutrients in equal amounts so when you use 10-10-10, what you are doing is contributing to run-off and local pollution issues.

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Rose-tone Fertilizer Is very good for hydrangeas

WATCH OUT FOR TICKS

Fertilizing hydrangeas forces you to get down at the ground level, sometimes crawling beneath your plant. That action may disturb ticks that then light on you. Whenever I do this early summer fertilizing, I always pick up several ticks. So do be aware and do a tick check regularly, especially after fertilizing. 

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One type of tick

PINCH PRUNING COMES NEXT

I’ll be back in a few days to discuss mid-season pinch-pruning, maybe topping your plant, and using those cuttings to propagate new plants. The fun is just beginning!

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Check out hydrangea specialist, Lorraine Ballato’s insightful website packed with excellent information on all things hydrangea!

SUCCESS WITH HYDRANGEAS

book by lorraine ballato

HYDRANGEA LOVERS

facts about hydrangeas

Hydrangea [illustration by karen blackerby logan]