When it comes to hydrangeas, there are so many to choose from, yet there’s so little room.
The world of hydrangeas has absolutely exploded in the past 10 years to the point that it is impossible to keep up with all the new cultivars. On proven winners.com, there are no less than six different new types of hydrangeas that grow in North America to choose from, not including aspera. That seventh variety, aspera, with its purple foliage, is just as exciting as the other six mentioned.
In my small garden, I have eight different varieties and that doesn’t include any of the new ones that recently have come on the market. My point is that no garden in the Northwest is complete without a few hydrangeas. There are the classic ball type for shade, PG, or paniculata grandiflora, types for sun, climbers, oak leaf and arboreal aspera types to name just a few. If you are missing this important summer blooming group of plants then it’s time to get with the program and plant a few.
Hydrangeas generally fall into two groups — those for sun and those for shade. Here’s a look at the two groups:
In the shade group is the traditional mop head forms, with their large ball-shaped flowers, and their cousins, the lace cap forms. There are many new varieties of these two forms, with a wide range of flower color and both double and single versions.
Many in the shade group are dwarf, so they stay below 4 feet tall (the City Line series is a good choice) and most are repeat bloomers so that if the man of the house prunes them too severely — or Mother Nature does the same — they’ll still bloom the following summer.
Also in this shade group are the climbers, both deciduous and evergreen, with white flowers and the aspera species, with sand paper leaves that can be either green or purple and huge (a foot across) lace cap flowers. My specimen is 12 feet tall.
For sun, we have three groups to choose from: the PG types are bulletproof and come in solid white or white with a pink blush or chartreuse (sorry but no blue in this variety). All have a cone-shaped flower (paniculata grandiflora means grand panicle and refers to the flower type).
Typically they can reach 10 feet tall, but there are many new dwarf forms that top out at 4 to 5 feet. Little Lime, Bobo and Strawberry Sundae are three new ones that stay under 5 feet tall. The beauty of this group is that much like a rose, they bloom on new wood every year so you can cut them back hard if you want and they will always bloom the following spring.
Oakleaf varieties have an unusual oak-leaf shape to the foliage, which is unique, and they also are known for their fabulous fall color — which will hang on long into the winter.
The third group is a North American native — so is the oak leaf — and grows best in full sun. It sports a large (12 to 14 inches across) white ball flower, but also comes in a more diminutive pink form. Both colors bloom on new growth so they can be cut hard in the spring to control the size and form.
Steve Smith is owner of Sunnyside Nursery in Marysville and can be reached online at info@sunnysidenursery.net.
Hydrangeas class
For more information on how to grow and prune hydrangeas, come to a class at 10 a.m. June 27 at Sunnyside Nursery.
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