Which hydrangea is best in shade

Avoid planting macrophylla hydrangea mophead and lacecap types in dry, with full sun exposed areas, or unprotected areas where extreme cold winds may damage young spring growth. These types are sun-lovers. While they prefer the sun, these hydrangeas will do just fine in partial shade, too. Unlike their famous shade-loving cousins, the macrophylla, or mop head hydrangea, which bloom on old wood.

Hydrangea quercifolia, also known as Oakleaf hydrangeas, such as Alice and Ruby Slipper , are sun-loving hydrangea that flower on old wood growth. In the last few years, breeders have been developing many excellent varieties along with introducing new colors with bright whites, creams, lime green, and various shades of pink.

Some of our most popular panicle hydrangeas are the Bobo, Quick Fire , and Limelight. Limelight , with its huge football-shaped flowers, has almost revolutionized landscaping across America. Opening into light green, the blooms age to a bouquet of pink, red, and burgundy persisting through frost. Breeders have recently introduced a sibling Little Limelight growing three to five feet tall and wide.

One of the first hydrangeas to bloom, the Quick Fire bloom emerges bright white and as blooms age; they change color to pink and finally red, giving the plant a multicolored effect in late summer and early fall. Hydrangea failing to bloom is a common dilemma for many of the older varieties of macrophylla and oakleaf hydrangeas. An unseasonable hard freeze or an improper pruning is typically the cause. These hydrangea types bloom on old wood. Winters with extreme freezing temperatures can injure unprotected flower buds.

A pre-winter routine to protect these big leaf hydrangea blooms is to pile fallen tree leaves over the top of the plant for winter bud protection. Pruning out of season, too late in winter or too early in spring, will result in cutting off flower buds formed the previous season.

Panicle and arborescence hydrangea are the perfect idiot-proof hydrangeas. Blooming late in summer on new wood, they require no special mulching or pruning techniques to see blooms the next year.

If you forget to prune a paniculata hydrangea the previous season, no worries, shape them up during the winter thaw or the following spring. The same is not valid for its cousins, the macrophylla hydrangeas. Mophead, lace-cap and oakleaf varieties of hydrangea bloom on old wood and should be pruned soon after blooms fade in late summer to early fall. Hydrangeas are a great shrub for any garden, offering dozens of varieties with all manner of leaves, growth sizes, and colors.

Where do you start though, if you have a heavily shaded yard or garden? Can hydrangeas grow in shade? In fact, many of the most common varieties like mophead and lacecap are perfect for shaded regions or shaded environments.

Rough-leaved hydrangeas, known as Hydrangea aspera, take on a more tropical appearance, offering larger flower buds which are velvety and have dark green leaves. They prefer partial shade over a very shady spot and will also thrive in full sun making them perfect for nearly all light conditions. One variety is the plum passion II, which is a hydrangea with purple leaves. This unique shrub provides green-purple foliage. The variety creates a dramatic contrast with its wispy flowers.

These plants, in fact, need partial shade which makes them the perfect variety for those who have shaded yards. Another variety is villosa with larger, velvety leaves and knobby, rose-coloured flower buds.

The iridescence of these will attract bees too and its very hardy making it ideal for sheltered or exposed areas. Climbing hydrangeas are great in that they offer slow-growing vines which can extend to 50 feet, offering clusters usually comprising both small fertile and more showy sterile flowers style flower, embedded in green foliage during the summer.

These do require a sturdy support structure to which they can cling. Deep shade for climbing hydrangeas? Bring it on. She earned a BA from U. Santa Cruz, a law degree from U. She currently divides her life between San Francisco and southwestern France. By Teo Spengler Updated August 30, Related Articles. Some break it down like this:. Plant in spring or fall; Cultivate the soil first, adding organic compost; Dig a hole as deep as the root ball and twice its width; and Tuck the plant in and water thoroughly.

You do not need to fertilize your hydrangea if you mulch regularly with organic compost unless you become aware of nutrient deficiencies in your soil. If you prune your hydrangeas, do so at the right time or risk your next year's flowers. Prune your mature bigleaf and oakleaf hydrangea shrubs immediately after flowering. As these species set buds on old wood, winter pruning removes next year's flower buds.

Prune smooth hydrangea which blooms on new growth at any point during the winter but before bud break in spring.