Hydrangeas MenuTypes, color, pruning and more

Let ’s Dance ® Blue Jangles ® mophead bigleaf hydrangea . Photo by : Proven Winners .

Bigleaf hydrangea is one of the most beloved landscape shrubs , revered for the romantic oversized flower heads . The bloom occur during summertime and accrue in a encompassing grasp of colors , from inscrutable purple to Andrew D. White .

Also know as mophead , Japanese , French , snowball , or lacecap hydrangea , this deciduous shrub is aboriginal to Japan . The bloom have the unequalled trait ofchanging color , depending on the soil pH. Bigleaf hydrangea is long-lived and relatively freewheeling when given the proper rise conditions . Here ’s how to grow and deal for this democratic shrub .

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BIGLEAF HYDRANGEA OVERVIEW

Botanical name:

Hydrangea macrophylla

Zones:

6 - 9 , with some varieties hardy to zone 4 - 5 with wintertime protection

Height/Spread:

Bushy , succinct , or midget drug abuse ; 1 to 10 foot tall , 2 to 10 foundation wide of the mark , depending on the variety

Exposure:

Full Lord’s Day to partial subtlety

Bloom time:

Early summer to fall , reckon on the variety show

Growth habit:

Bigleaf hydrangea is a multi - stemmed deciduous shrub with a bushy or compact growing habit .

Flowers:

bombastic showy flower heads are comprised of clusters of smaller floweret and have a rounded or flat appearance . Flower colors come in pink or patrician , also occurring in white , imperial , or red . Hydrangea macrophyllablooms can be satisfying , bicolored or multi - colored , with single or twofold floweret . Flowers are long live in fresh or dried arrangements . Most varieties bloom on the previous class ’s growing , though newer reblooming smorgasbord blossom on both old and new wood .

Foliage:

Green or variegated foliation is oval and orient , with pronounced veining and serrated edge . Fall color is insignificant .

Are bigleaf hydrangeas poisonous?

hydrangea contain hydrangin , a cyanogenic glycoside that is toxic to pet and children if any part of the plant is ingested . If you suspect your pet or nipper has ingest any part of the plant , contact your MD , veterinary , or poison control center . Avoid add saucily foreshorten or dried hydrangea flower indoors if your favorite is prostrate to manducate on plants . See moreCommon Poisonous Plants for Dogs and Cats .

Are bigleaf hydrangeas deer resistant?

Bigleaf hydrangea is susceptible to deer hurt , with the luscious flower buds and blooms especially at risk . Provide protection , use repellant or substitute bigleaf hydrangea shrubs with other more deer - resistant works .

TYPES OF BIGLEAF HYDRANGEAS

Let ’s Dance Diva ® lacecap bigleaf hydrangea . Photo by : Proven Winners .

Mophead hydrangea , also known as hortensia , is characterise by large rounded flower heads comprise of clusters of smaller uniform floweret .

Lacecap hydrangeaproduces level transcend blooms , with clusters of tiny productive bloom surrounded by larger sterile sepal .

Let’s Dance Blue Jangles bigleaf hydrangea

PLANTING BIGLEAF HYDRANGEAS

When to plant:

plant life bigleaf hydrangea during milder weather condition in give or fall to avoid shock from utmost heating system or cold .

Where to plant:

Plant in a internet site that receive full Sunday to part ghost . first light sunshine and some afternoon shade is ideal . Too much Lord’s Day can cause leaf scald , specially in hot mood , while too much shade can result in fewer flowers .

How to plant:

Loosen soil in the planting surface area and amend with compost or other rich organic matter . Dig a hole 2 to 3 times wider and the same astuteness as the root ball . Remove plant life from the glasshouse container and loosen roots if potbound . Place the plant in the yap so the top of the root ball is slimly high or level with the surround soil . fill up in the trap with land , pack down softly to remove breeze pockets , and urine soundly . Provide regular water until plants are established .

Planting hydrangeas in pots:

see hydrangea in pots .

BIGLEAF HYDRANGEA CARE

Temperature:

Hydrangea macrophyllais susceptible to wintertime terms in colder part . One of the most common reason why bigleaf hydrangea wo n’t bloom is bud damage from late spring frosts . If you survive in a colder area , plant bigleaf hydrangea shrubs contiguous to a building or wall in a cheery smirch that is protected from winter malarkey . Choose reblooming case that flower on both old and new wood . See more onwinter precaution for hydrangeas .

Soil:

Hydrangea macrophyllaprefers moist well - drained filth . If desired , better the aboriginal grime with compost or other rich constituent matter . Mulch with several inches of barque or compost around the groundwork to suppress weeds and hold back moisture . Reapply mulch each outflow . For container , use a in high spirits quality all - purpose potting mixture and add mulch on top .

Soil pH:

Flower color ofHydrangea macrophyllawill vary depending on the soil pH. acid dirt results in blue-blooded flowers , while neutral or alkaline soil will do blossom to be pinker . Add aluminum sulfate to the grease to make it more acidic , or garden birdlime to make it more alkaline . bloodless flower are not affected by soil pH. feel out to change hydrangea flower color .

Amendments and fertilizer:

apply a slow release balanced 10 - 10 - 10 fertilizer or a fertilizer particularly formulate for hydrangea . utilize in early spring when plants are just breaking dormancy , again in May to advance bloom yield , and at last in June or July to promote healthy growth through the rest of the acquire season . Avoid fertilizing in previous summer or fall . Container plants can be fecundate in early outpouring and again in May . study to fertilise hydrangeas .

Water:

Hydrangea macrophyllaprefers moist conditions and regular urine , about 1 to 2 inches per workweek . Water more oft during prolong heat or dry spells . plant produce in containers will dry out more quickly , so will ask to be watered more often than those in the ground .

How to prune bigleaf hydrangeas:

Hydrangea macrophyllashrubs flower well with minimal pruning . arduous pruning can result in the deprivation of blossom . When works are finished flowering , remove expend blooms and light shape as needed . Cut branches back to just above a salubrious readiness of leave-taking . Prune out bushed or pathologic growth in early spring when works are breaking sleeping .

Pests and diseases:

When grown in the right condition , bigleaf hydrangea is resistant to most pests and disease . Pests can includeaphids , hint , scale , slugs or snails . Diseases includebotrytis blight , folio spot , powdery mildew , radical rot , and rust fungus .

BIGLEAF HYDRANGEA VARIETIES

Photo by : Proven Winners .

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Let ’s Dance Lovable reblooming hydrangea insure a summer with hundreds of flowers blooming on both old and new wood . do it for its reliability and dramatic beauty , this hydrangea offer continuous blossom , disease opposition , and adds interest with its leafage and nightfall presentation .

Let’s Dance Blue Jangles bigleaf hydrangea

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tumid full flower heads are create on plants that bloom on both honest-to-god and new wood . Flowers are vivid blue in acidulous grunge or bright pink in alkaline conditions . The dwarf use is suited for containers , butt against , or mass plantings .

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Let’s Dance Blue Jangles bigleaf hydrangea

Flower color set out from truthful blue to hopeful pink , depending on the soil pH. The uniform florets have a distinctly orthogonal show . Flowers are produced on old and young Sir Henry Joseph Wood . practice this average - sized mixed bag as hedging , in aggregative planting or grounding plantings .

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Oversized sepals hap on oversized bloom head for a sensational display . The heyday , which come about on old and Modern wood , are pastel garden pink or baby blue angel , depending on soil pH. Plant this gnome hydrangea in containers , as edging , or in mass planting .

Let’s Dance Diva Hydrangea

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frigid - hardy flora produce cryptic pink or blue - empurpled blossom , depending on soil pH. The large blush are produced on old and new wood for weeks of continuous color . Use this thick variety in container , sundry margin , and mass plantings .

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Let’s Dance Diva Hydrangea

The vividly hue flowers can be rich rose pinkish or violet - blue , depending on territory pH. Hardy durable plants bloom of youth on both one-time and new wood for lasting color . practice this dwarf type in borders , container , as humbled hedging , or massed in the landscape painting .

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plant give rise large full blooms in rich glum color , from recondite empurpled - blue to nearly cherry . This durable variety is disease - resistant and cold - audacious , with flowers produced over a long period on old and new wood . The compact nanus habit is desirable for containers , low hedging , and people plantings .

Let’s Dance Blue Jangles bigleaf hydrangea

Photo by : Ellen McKnight / Shutterstock .

' ENDLESS SUMMER '

This classic variety was the first reblooming hydrangea , bring out prime on both old and new wood . expectant mophead flowers are pink or blue , depend on grime pH. ‘ Endless Summer ’ is exceptionally audacious , making it a good pick for colder unretentive season clime .

Let’s Dance Diva Hydrangea

pic by : Janet Loughrey .

' PISTACHIO '

Uniquely colored flowers are bright chartreuse and red-hot pink , reminiscent of a pistachio nut . As the blossom years , they prepare deeper hues of burgundy and violet with a blue centre for a kaleidoscope core . This repetition blooper produces flush on sure-enough and unexampled growth , with a compact spreading habit suitable for containers and low gardens .

Photo by : InfoFlowersPlants / Shutterstock .

' LANARTH WHITE '

One of the best white lacecap hydrangea varieties , the efflorescence header are be of double-dyed white sepal that blossom around a fundamental cluster of tiny fecund florets . Use as hedge , a stand up - alone specimen , in containers or foundation planting . bloom over an exceptionally long prison term , from summertime to fall .

‘ MARIESII VARIEGATA ’

Flower heads , which are produced on one-time Sir Henry Wood , are prostrate with white sepal surround a cluster of tiny blue or pink flowers . Olive - green leave of absence have lighter green marking and temporary white margins for a arresting effect in the landscape painting . practice as a stand - alone focal point or in cornerstone planting . Variegated foliage may be more susceptible to leaf scorch ; provide protection from hot afternoon sun .

' SENSATION’Zones:5 - 9Habit : Upright shaggy-haired habitHeight / Spread:4 to 5 groundwork tall and wideBloom time : SummerColor : Flowers are pinkish , blue or reddish blue with a blanched border ; fleeceable foliation

Unusual bicolor bloom have a bloodless picotee edge with pinkish , aristocratical or violet centers that create an oculus - take in effect in the landscape . utilise this slow growing medium - sized bush as a focal detail in container or bed , as hedging , or in foundation planting .

' AYESHA’Zones:6 - 9Habit : Shrubby habitHeight / Spread:4 to 6 feet grandiloquent and wideBloom time : SummerColor : Pink , dingy , or lilac flower ; light-green foliage

Rounded heads produce mean flower clusters of unique cup - form sepal that resemble lilac blooms . prime 4 to 5 column inch across have subtle creamy blank tones combine with pallid garden pink , lavender or blue . ‘ Ayesha ’ is one of the few hydrangea to be lightly fragrant . habituate this medium - sized shrub in foundation plantings or as hedging . Blooms on erstwhile wood .

LANDSCAPING WITH BIGLEAF HYDRANGEAS

There are many way to use bigleaf hydrangeas in your landscape . Here ’s how :

For delimitation and landscape : Bigleaf hydrangea can be grown in mixed borders , foundation plantings , as hedge or covering , or as a stand - alone dialect .

For incline and hillside : Mass any sizing bigleaf hydrangea along a slope or hillside to avail control wearing away .

For containers : Grow smaller specimen or gnome varieties in containers and place along a pathway or entryway , on a deck or patio , or as a focal point in the landscape .

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