Friday, July 16th, 2021
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Have you ever had a hydrangea that failed to bloom? There are many reasons why hydrangeas fail to bloom, but the most common reason is because the flower buds have been damaged by frigid winter temperatures.
Panicle hydrangeas are the hardiest and most reliable hydrangeas you can grow because their flower buds are not exposed to the cold as they have not formed yet. This species of hydrangea blooms on new growth as opposed to some other species that bloom on last year’s growth. Therefore, because the flower buds are not present during the winter months, panicle hydrangeas can be pruned in late winter or early spring before new growth begins. Alternatively, hydrangeas that bloom on last year’s growth cannot be pruned in winter or spring as doing so would remove the flower buds resulting in a bloomless hydrangea. They need to be pruned in the summer.
Check out some amazing panicle hydrangea options:
Little Quick Fire (Hydrangea paniculata ‘SMHPLOF’)
Exposure: Sun or part shade
Size: 3-5’ tall and wide
Spacing: 5-7’
Bloom Time: Summer
Pruning: Late winter/early spring
Deer Resistance: Low
Quick Fire Fab (Hydrangea paniculata ‘SMNHPM’)
Exposure: Sun or part shade
Size: 6-8’ tall and wide
Spacing: 6-8’
Bloom Time: Summer
Pruning: Late winter/early spring
Deer Resistance: Low
Did you know? The colour of a panicle hydrangea cannot be altered with aluminium sulfate or by planting it in acidic soil. Rather it is a change in temperature that triggers flowers to turn from white to pink or red in the fall.
Fire Light Tidbit (Hydrangea paniculata ‘SMNHPK’)
Exposure: Sun or part shade
Size: 2-3’ tall and 3-4’ wide
Spacing: 4-5’
Bloom Time: Summer
Pruning: Late winter/early spring
Deer Resistance: Low
Limelight (Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’)
A timeless hydrangea variety! Jade-green flowers transform into pink and burgundy in the fall. This reliable, cold hardy plant makes a lovely cut flower.
Exposure: Sun or part shade
Size: 6-8’ tall and wide
Spacing: 6-8’
Bloom Time: Summer
Pruning: Late winter/early spring
Deer Resistance: Low
Did you know? Too much shade may impact the blooms on your panicle hydrangea. If placed in too shady of a spot, blooming may be sparse or not occur at all. Too much shade may also lead to weak, spindly growth resulting in the hydrangea being unable to hold up its large blooms.
Limelight Prime (Hydrangea paniculata ‘SMNHPPH’)
Even better than the original Limelight hydrangea! Limelight Prime has stronger stems, earlier blooms and is slightly smaller in size. It is as beautiful and dependable as ever!
Exposure: Sun or part shade
Size: 4-6’ tall and wide
Spacing: 4-6’
Bloom Time: Summer
Pruning: Late winter/early spring
Deer Resistance: Low
Pinky Winky (Hydrangea paniculata ‘DVP PINKY’)
A showstopping hydrangea! Pinky Winky hydrangeas have huge white flowers that turn pink as they age, creating a beautiful two-toned effect.
Exposure: Sun or part shade
Size: 6-8’ tall and wide
Spacing: 6-8’
Bloom Time: Summer
Pruning: Late winter/early spring
Deer Resistance: Low
Did you know? Panicle hydrangeas are known for their attractive, over-sized blooms. For this reason, they make excellent cut or dried flowers! If you are interested in drying your hydrangea blooms, check out a great video from Proven Winners on how to do so successfully.
Bobo (Hydrangea paniculata ‘ILVOBO’)
Every summer this hydrangea is covered in white flowers that age to pink. Perfect for containers and small spaces!
Exposure: Sun or part shade
Size: 2.5-3’ tall and 3-4’ wide
Spacing: 4-5’
Bloom Time: Summer
Pruning: Late winter/early spring
Deer Resistance: Low
If any of the panicle hydrangeas featured have caught your eye, you may be wondering what you could pair them with to make a spectacular display in your garden. Here are some of our recommendations!
Wine & Roses Weigela (Weigela florida ‘Alexandra’)
Wine & Roses Weigela is a garden classic. Its combination of hot pink flowers in the spring and dark purple foliage brings dramatic colour to your garden.
Exposure: Sun
Size: 4-5’ tall and wide
Spacing: 5-6’
Bloom Time: Late spring
Pruning: After flowering
Deer Resistance: Medium
Dwarf Hardy Hibiscus (Hibiscus moscheutos Luna Red & Hibiscus moscheutos Luna White)
Hardy Hibiscus are a wonderful addition to the summer garden with their exceptionally large blooms appearing in midsummer and continuing until frost. They are also pollinator friendly!
Exposure: Sun
Size: 2-3′ tall and 1.5-2′ wide
Spacing: 2-2.5′
Bloom Time: Summer/fall
Pruning: Late winter/early spring
Deer Resistance: Low to medium
We hope you gained some valuable information from this blog!
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