Common Name:
Hydrangea, Snowball, French, Japanese or House Hydrangea.
Description:
A classic and quick growing shrub with large fleshy green leaves.
Flower:
Tidy rounded mophead flowers are either lolly pink or royal blue.
Size:
50cm x 50cm
Growing Conditions:
Hydrangeas do best in light or dappled shade where they can enjoy the warm morning sun and afternoon shade. They will happily grow in most free draining soil but you should avoid hot, dry and exposed sites. Dig in plenty of Premium compost for improved growth.
Care:
If there ever was an easy-care no fuss shrub, Hydrangeas are definitely it. Just prune for size and shape. Each year you want to cut out any dead wood and prune about 1/3 of the older stems to ground level. This will improve vigour and flower quantity.
They can be prone to bugs such as Aphids, mites and Thrips but these are generally rare. They can also suffer from Powdery mildew (white powder like coating) especially in the warm, wet spring but a suitable spray will deal to this.
Uses:
Hydrangeas are versatile plants which can be used as under-planting especially behind fences and under standard or pleached trees. They are ideal woodland plants and are suitable for mass planting and informal hedges.
Comment:
Hydrangea are classic plants that are making a popular comeback. And no wonder, with a wide range of flower types and colours and the ability to grow most places without too much attention.
Be sure to check out our growing guide here.