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AnimalBabe
- Full Member
- Posts: 50
- Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 4:34 pm
- Location: Northern Virginia
which hydrangeas would you prefer for a hill?
Hi all, I'm considering planting some hydrangeas soon (this fall) along our 6ft privacy fence that is one a hill. Does this sound like an ok place to plant these (the area receives mostly shade, possible a few hrs of late afternoon sun at the most)? I would like some that grow pretty large, and hopefully wouldn't droop too much as they would be a major focal pt in our backyard. I've seen a few people nearby with white hydrangeas that looked huge and beautiful but I don't know what kind they are. I have one hydrangea already on the other side of our house but I'm not familiar with the different types..I guess mine is a mophead hydrangea. I read another post where someone suggested lacecap..can you describe the differences between these and which you prefer? Thanks!
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luis_pr
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 824
- Joined: Sun Jul 05, 2009 8:31 am
- Location: Hurst, TX USA Zone 7b/8a
There are several varieties of hydrangeas as follows:
When you say hydrangea, H. macrophyllas is the one that most people think of. It actually comes in two flavors: mopheads and lacecaps. Mopheads bloom like the one that you were talking about, meaning they have a round flowerhead or something close to that. Think Vibirnum Snowball. Lacecaps have a ring of sterile sepals growing around their small true flowers. Most macs will grow in a range between 3-6’ in height so check the plant label for an estimated size at maturity (a commercial term meaning size in ten years). I find that lacecap blooms do not last as long as mophead blooms because the true flowers do not last and you just end with the sterile flowers. So I prefer the mophead blooms but still make space for one or two lacecaps. All H. macrophyllas produce flower buds in July-August and these stay invisible until Spring. But there are now reblooming H. macrophyllas that will also bloom again later in the growing season (so you get new blooms at times like June and August, etc). See the link below for an example of a reblooming white hydrangea known as Peace; others go by the names White Out, Blushing Bride (which technically starts white-ish, with a light tint of either blue or pink), Mme. Emile Mouillere (blooms only in Spring) and Sister Theresa Hydrangea (blooms only in Spring).
https://foreverandeverplants.com/Plant.aspx?code=TBN10071&type=hydrangea
H. arborescens (also called Wild Hydrangea, Smooth Hydrangea or American Hydrangea) grows very tall like a tree in the wild, but the hybrids for sale out there resemble H. macrophylla’s size in the garden. Annabelle is a well known H. arborescens that produces very larg heads of initially white flowers. The weight of the blooms can be a problem, especially when the stems are new and-or the blooms are wet, causing the stems to bend and the blooms to flop. Stronger hybrids are available; check Incrediball (stronger stems, bigger blooms), Invicibelle Spirit (initially pink blooms instead of white) and Bella Anna (initially pink blooms instead of white). See below for links to some H. Arborescens:
https://hydrangeasplus.com/Hydrangea_Arborescens_Annabelle.html
https://www.provenwinners.com/plants/hydrangea/incrediball-smooth-hydrangea-hydrangea-arborescens
H. paniculatas produces large shrubs that can become tree-sized specimens, with panicle-like blooms that are initially white. Some varieties may have problems handling the blooms weight at first but that should improve with age. If size is important, check these out. Grandiflora, also known as Pee Gee, is a well known example of these. The flower cones can be easily longer than 12â€
When you say hydrangea, H. macrophyllas is the one that most people think of. It actually comes in two flavors: mopheads and lacecaps. Mopheads bloom like the one that you were talking about, meaning they have a round flowerhead or something close to that. Think Vibirnum Snowball. Lacecaps have a ring of sterile sepals growing around their small true flowers. Most macs will grow in a range between 3-6’ in height so check the plant label for an estimated size at maturity (a commercial term meaning size in ten years). I find that lacecap blooms do not last as long as mophead blooms because the true flowers do not last and you just end with the sterile flowers. So I prefer the mophead blooms but still make space for one or two lacecaps. All H. macrophyllas produce flower buds in July-August and these stay invisible until Spring. But there are now reblooming H. macrophyllas that will also bloom again later in the growing season (so you get new blooms at times like June and August, etc). See the link below for an example of a reblooming white hydrangea known as Peace; others go by the names White Out, Blushing Bride (which technically starts white-ish, with a light tint of either blue or pink), Mme. Emile Mouillere (blooms only in Spring) and Sister Theresa Hydrangea (blooms only in Spring).
https://foreverandeverplants.com/Plant.aspx?code=TBN10071&type=hydrangea
H. arborescens (also called Wild Hydrangea, Smooth Hydrangea or American Hydrangea) grows very tall like a tree in the wild, but the hybrids for sale out there resemble H. macrophylla’s size in the garden. Annabelle is a well known H. arborescens that produces very larg heads of initially white flowers. The weight of the blooms can be a problem, especially when the stems are new and-or the blooms are wet, causing the stems to bend and the blooms to flop. Stronger hybrids are available; check Incrediball (stronger stems, bigger blooms), Invicibelle Spirit (initially pink blooms instead of white) and Bella Anna (initially pink blooms instead of white). See below for links to some H. Arborescens:
https://hydrangeasplus.com/Hydrangea_Arborescens_Annabelle.html
https://www.provenwinners.com/plants/hydrangea/incrediball-smooth-hydrangea-hydrangea-arborescens
H. paniculatas produces large shrubs that can become tree-sized specimens, with panicle-like blooms that are initially white. Some varieties may have problems handling the blooms weight at first but that should improve with age. If size is important, check these out. Grandiflora, also known as Pee Gee, is a well known example of these. The flower cones can be easily longer than 12â€