I have always loved hydrangea. They come in so many shapes and sizes and they do well in all parts of the country, from the north to the south. Hydrangeas are perfect for both containers and gardens. They can be used as a single specimen or en masse as a hedge or ground cover. The flowers can even be dried for winter arrangements. There are some varieties of hydrangea that thrive in sun, while others prefer shade but most need at least partial shade to perform best for you. I like them because they give me color throughout the growing season from spring through fall with their changing blooms and fall foliage color.
Climbing Hydrangea
- Climbing hydrangea is a fast-growing vine that will climb quickly and easily up any fence, trellis, or other support of your choice.
- Climbing hydrangea is available in many colors including pink, purple and white.
- It is a good choice for a shade garden as it likes to grow in partial shade to full sun.
Bigleaf Hydrangea
- Bigleaf hydrangea is a deciduous shrub native to China.
- Bigleaf hydrangea is hardy to USDA zones 4 to 8 and can reach heights of 10 feet tall, with 4-foot wide leaves.
- The large flowers are white or pink, depending on the variety you purchase; they bloom in late spring or early summer and fade during fall months.
Oak Leaf Hydrangea
Oak Leaf Hydrangea is a popular variety that grows to around 5 feet tall. The large, oak-shaped leaves grow on stems that branch from the main stem, which can be up to 6 feet long. The flowers are white and bloom in midsummer. This shrub is a good choice for hedges or background plants because it can tolerate full sun as well as partial shade.
Mophead Hydrangea
Mophead hydrangea is a deciduous shrub that grows in the wild in China. It has large flower heads and is commonly used as a hedge. The plant can grow up to 10 feet tall, so you’ll want to give it plenty of space if you plan on planting it next to your house or fence. Mophead hydrangea is hardy through zones 4-9.
Wild Hydrangea
This variety is native to the United States and grows up to 10 feet high. The shrub produces large, dark green leaves that turn red in the fall. Wild hydrangea blooms in June through July with white flowers on top of long stems that grow out of the branches of the plant.
The wild hydrangea’s blooms are wide open at first, but they gradually close as they age until they ultimately look like closed umbrellas after a rainstorm.
Panicle Hydrangea
The name panicle refers to the shape of the plant’s flowers. This is a group of flowers that are similar in color and shape, but they hang down instead of standing up like on a hydrangea bush. Panicle hydrangeas are more common in the south than they are in other parts of the country. That’s because they thrive in hot, humid weather conditions that many northern gardens don’t have year-round.
Panicle hydrangeas make great shade trees because they grow tall and wide with lush green leaves that turn golden yellow during the fall months. They can also stand up well against windy conditions—something you may need if you live where hurricanes hit often or coastal storms come your way every few years!
Smooth Hydrangea
Smooth hydrangea is a deciduous shrub that grows in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 9. It blooms from May to June or July, depending on the variety, with waxy white flowers that resemble pink lace cap hydrangeas but have no fragrance. Smooth hydrangea’s light green leaves grow on stems that can reach up to 6 feet tall and 4 feet wide when mature. The flowers are borne in loose clusters at the ends of branches and are usually seen on new growth rather than older wood for the most part, though it does happen occasionally in some varieties like ‘Limelight’–which retains its color well into winter because it has glossy green leaves (in comparison with other varieties).
Mountain Hydrangea
Mountain Hydrangea is a deciduous shrub that grows up to 10 feet tall and blooms in late spring. It gets its name from its mountain home, which is the eastern United States.
Mountain Hydrangea is also known as Limelight and Limelight Hydrangea for its large flower size and beautiful blossoms.
Involucrate Hydrangeas
Involucrate hydrangeas are named for the involucre, which is a cluster of bracts at the base of the flower. Hydrangea macrophylla is the most common type of involucrate hydrangea and can grow to be up to 8 feet tall.
Acuminata Hydrangeas
Acuminata Hydrangeas are native to Japan and China. They are hardy, growing well in zones 4-8, and they produce large, double flowers. The acuminate hydrangea has been known for its ability to grow up to 15 feet tall with exceptional growth rates. This variety is best used as a hedge or border because of its impressive size and width.
The most popular colors for acuminate hydrangea include white, pink, and red but there are several other varieties available including blueberry ice cream pink, lilac wine purple, light pink shading darker on the petals, dark red with white margins fading toward the center; also known as Bradford’s Pink Skyline; creamy white with green centers fading toward the edge of petal; also known as Bradford’s In The Springtime
The more you know about hydrangeas, the better.
What Are Hydrangeas?
The more you know about hydrangeas, the better. Hydrangeas are a genus of 70-75 species of flowering plants native to southeastern North America, Mexico, Central America, and East Asia. The genus is placed in the Hydrangeaceae family along with other shrubs that have large clusters of flowers on upright stems.
Hydrangea flowers are commonly blue or pink but can also be white or red. Some varieties have variegated leaves and some have double flowers where each petal is divided into two separate petals (think sixteenth notes). All hydrangeas bloom during late spring to early summer before dying back for winter dormancy.
Conclusion
It’s easy to see how hydrangeas can be so popular! Not only do they come in a wide variety of colors, textures, and shapes, but they are also easy to grow and require little maintenance. This list should give you some ideas on what kind of hydrangea would work best in your garden or home.
