Hydrangea Plant

Add a Bold Statement with a Snowball Bush

A Hydrangea Plant in full bloom with bright reddish pink flower clusters.

One of the most sought after plants for a garden is the Hydrangea plant because of the large snowball flowers.

They get covered in large clusters of blooms in shades of white, pink and blues.

They are easy to grow and are low maintenance and like to have some shade in the middle of the day when it's really hot outside.

They likes moist, well drained soil so adding a thick layer of mulch will help retain moister.

 

Growing Hydrangeas in Containers

Pinkish purple flowers on this hydrangea plant growing in a container.

A Hydrangea plant make a nice focal point on a deck, patio or on a stand in your yard. Growing Hydrangeas in containers is easy but the soil needs to stay moist.  The containers can get heavy with everything in it so it might be best to find a pot with wheels so you can easily move it around. 

You will also want to protect your Hydrangea plant during the winter by either moving it into your basement or unheated garage or if leaving it outside, you may want to cover it to protect it from the cold harsh winds.


Hydrangea Plant Varieties

There are about 70 – 75 different varieties of Hydrangeas to choose from and the varieties keep climbing as there are new varieties every year. Below I have a few varieties that I sell in my nursery. They are spectacular when they are in bloom.


Annabelle (H. arborescens 'Annabelle')

Annabelle Hydrangea with big white snowball flowers

Growing quickly to 5 feet tall and wide, Annabelle will get very large white flowers from late spring to fall and it only needs 4 to 6 hours of sun per day. Flowers bloom on new wood so pruning can be done during the winter months or very early spring.


Preziosa Mountain (H. serrata ‘Preziosa’)

Preziosa Mountain Hydrangea with snowball pinkish blooms

With pale pink to mature reddish purple flowers this snowball bush will grow to about 4 feet tall and wide. Like most snowball bushes, it prefers part shade but can be grown in full sun if kept moist. Pruning should be done right after the flowers are done blooming as it blooms on old wood.


Nikko Blue (H. macrophylla 'Nikko Blue')

Nikko Blue Hydrangea with large blue flowers

This fast growing bush quickly reaches 4-6' tall and wide. It displays beautiful blue flowers in early summer. It blooms on old wood so pruning should be done right after blooms are done.


PeeGee (H. paniculata 'Grandiflora')

PeeGee Hydrangea with large white cone-shaped flowers with a hint of pink on the edges.

Similar to Annabelle Hydrangea, PG Hydrangea is a fast growing (sometimes more than 24 inches per year) deciduous shrub that gets large cone shaped white flowers. Flowers bloom on new wood so pruning can be done during the winter months.


Brussels Lace Panicle (H. paniculata 'Brussels Lace')

Brussels Lace Panicle Hydrangea with large cone-shaped blooms

Perfect for a smaller garden, this 6' tall and 5' wide hydrangea gets large flowers about 8" long. It blooms on new wood so pruning can be done in late winter to early spring before new growth starts to emerge.


Velvet Leaf Lacecap (H. aspera)

Velvet Leaf Hydrangea with purplish lacecap blooms surrounded by single white flowers

With a growth of 10-12 feet tall and 8-10 feet wide you will need lots of room for this Lacecap Hydrangea but it is well worth it. The flower heads on this beauty can get up to 10-12" wide and they cover the shrub.

They prefer light shade and doesn't like dry soil.


Variegated Lacecap (H. macrophylla Variegata)

Lacecap Variegated Hydrangea with blueish coloured blooms with single white flowers around surround the edges of the blooms.

Another lacecap that grows to about 6' tall and wide. It has blueish coloured blooms and variegated leaves. It prefers part shade and evenly moist soil for best performance.


Adding a Hydrangea plant to your yard will add a lot of beauty and elegance. And the blooms last until late summer and sometimes into fall when not too much else is blooming.

Once the blooms turn brown you can dry them and add them to your winter planters for a nice arrangement. 


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