The world of Hydrangeas may seem overwhelming but really, there are just 4 common types of Hydrangea. Each one has specific pruning, watering, and sun requirements and have varieties that come in a range of sizes and colors.
Big Leaf Hydrangea
- High water requirements
- Full shade with no afternoon sun.
- In late Spring or early Summer, you’ll have big, round mophead blooms in pink, blue, purple or white. Fun Fact: PH levels of the soil determine the bloom color, so keep that in mind that it might change once you plant it in your soil. There are fertilizers that add acidity to the soil so you can control it fairly easily. This is unique to the Big Leaf Hydrangea.
- These bloom on old wood, meaning they set their buds on last year’s growth in the Fall. Because we don’t want to trim off any of those potential flower buds, Big Leaf Hydrangeas shouldn’t be pruned until after they have filled out with new growth in late Spring. Then you’ll only need to trim out any Winter dieback.
Oakleaf Hydrangea
These Hydrangeas get their name from the oak-shaped leaf which turns a stunning color in the Fall.
- Part shade to full sun (with a little protection)
- Normal watering requirements
- They have branchy structure with
flakey bark which can give some nice Winter interest.
- Cone-shaped blooms appear in late Spring and come in pink or white.
- Oakleaf Hydrangeas bloom on old wood, so similarly to the Big Leaf Hydrangea, you’ll just let these leaf out in the Spring, and then trim back any Winter dieback.
- Feel free to trim off any wild hairs through the rest of the year.
Smooth Hydrangea
Smooth Hydrangea gets confused for Big Leaf Hydrangea a lot but they are so much easier and you will get a show of blooms!
- Part shade to full sun (with a little protection)
- Normal watering needs
- They will bloom in early Summer with large round blooms that come in pink or white.
- The big difference is that these bloom on NEW wood. They set their buds in the Spring, so the late frosts won’t change the amount of blooms you get.
- Because of this their pruning is also very easy! You just trim them down to around 6” to 1’ in late Fall or early Spring and move on.
Panicle Hydrangea
These Hydrangeas have exploded with new varieties in the last 10 years.
- Part sun to full sun Hydrangea with no protection needed
- Do not require extra watering while in the full sun
- All through Summer and into Fall they will flower with large cone shaped blooms. These will all come out white, and some will fade to pink in late Summer or as we go into Fall.
- Panicle Hydrangeas also bloom on new wood, so they can be trimmed in late Fall or early Spring without affecting the amount of blooms you get.
- Some leave their spent blooms on for Winter interest.
