Hydrangea

This shade-loving beauty offers huge bouquets of clustered flowers, in various arrangements from mophead to lacecap, from summer through fall. Varieties differ in size of plant and flower panicle, flower color, and blooming time. PeeGee hydrangeas grow into small trees; the flowers turn russet and cling into winter. Oakleaf hydrangeas have the most handsome foliage, which reddens dramatically in fall. Some of the newer hydrangeas feature huge flowers on compact plants, ideal for containers and small gardens. Hydrangeas thrive in a moist, fertile, well-drained soil in partial to full shade. If you're seeking blue flowers, check your soil's pH level and apply aluminum sulfate in spring to lower pH to the 5.2-5.5 range. The change in flower color results from lower pH and higher aluminum content in the soil.

Light:

Part Sun, Shade

Zones:

4-9

Plant Type:

Shrub

Plant Height:

3-18 feet tall

Plant Width:

3-18 feet wide

Landscape Uses:

Containers, Beds & Borders, Slopes

Special Features:

Flowers, Attractive Foliage, Fall Color, Winter Interest, Cut Flowers, Dried Flowers, Easy to Grow

Top Varieties

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Annabelle hydrangea

(Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle') is a compact variety native to areas of eastern North America that features large clusters of flowers resembling snowballs. Zones 4-9
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Bluebird hydrangea

(Hydrangea serrata 'Bluebird') is a lacecap type with deep blue clustered fertile flowers are surrounded by pale blue sterile flowers. This variety also features red fall leaf color. It grows 4 feet tall and wide. Zones 6-9
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Blue Bonnet hydrangea

(Hydrangea macrophylla 'Blue Bonnet') offers rich periwinkle-blue flowerheads on a plant that grows 6 feet tall and 8 feet wide. Zones 6-9
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Blue Bunny hydrangea

(Hydrangea involucrata 'Wim Rutten') is a reblooming lacecap with blue flowers from midsummer to frost. It grows 4 feet tall and 5 feet wide. Zones 6-9
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Endless Summer Blushing Bride hydrangea

(Hydrangea macrophylla 'Blushing Bride') offers semidouble flowers that open white then gradually blush to a light pink as they age. The blooms appear on new and old growth all summer and fall. It grows 6 feet tall and wide. Zones 5-9
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Endless Summer hydrangea

(Hydrangea macrophylla 'Bailmer') blooms continuously from summer through fall, producing clear pink, dusky lavender or blue blooms, depending on aluminum level in soil. It bears flowers on both old and new growth. Grows to Zones 4-9
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Endless Summer Twist-n-Shout

(Hydrangea macrophylla 'PIIHM-I') is a reblooming lacecap with pink or blue flowers from June to frost. It grows 5 feet tall and wide. Zones 4-9
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Forever Pink hydrangea

(Hydrangea macrophylla 'Forever Pink') bears extra large clusters of pink flowers on vigorous plants that grow 4 feet tall and 6 feet wide. Zones 5-9.
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Lemon Daddy hydrangea

(Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy') offers stunning, chartreuse foliage that glows through the season. The lavender flowers are upstaged by the leaves. It grows 4 feet tall and wide. Zones 5-9
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Light O' Day hydrangea

(Hydrangea macrophylla 'Bailday') bears green leaves festively edged in white. It bears flattened lacecap-type flowers in shades of blue. It grows 4 feet tall and wide. Zones 5-9
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Limelight hydrangea

(Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight') is a sun-loving selection with large green flowers in midsummer into autumn. The blooms deepen to pink in cooler weather. It grows 8 feet tall and 6 feet wide. Zones 3-8
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Oakleaf hydrangea

(Hydrangea quercifolia) is native to areas of North America and bears snowy cone-shaped flowers in summer, but the real attraction are the large, scalloped leaves that redden in autumn. It grows 6 feet tall and 8 feet wide. Zones 5-9
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PeeGee hydrangea

(Hydrangea paniculata 'Grandiflora') is a vigorous shrub or small tree for full sun that can grow up to 20 feet tall and 8 feet wide. It bears clusters of white flowers in summer that fade to shades of rose or green before turning beige in winter. Zones 4-8
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Rosalba hydrangea

(Hydrangea serrata 'Rosalba') is a pink lacecape-type that grows 3 feet tall and wide. Zones 6-9
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Spreading Beauty hydrangea

(Hydrangea serrata 'Hallasan') is a reblooming lacecap type that bears pinkish or bluish flowers from summer to fall on a low, spreading shrub. It grows 3 feet tall and 4 feet wide. Zones 4-9
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Tardiva hydrangea

(Hydrangea paniculata 'Tardiva') is a sun-loving, white-flowering variety with large clusters of white blooms. It grows 10 feet tall and 6 feet wide. Zones 4-8
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