Growing Hydrangeas

How to Plant, Grow, and Prune Hydrangeas

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With immense flower heads, hydrangeas flaunt an old-fashioned charm in summertime that’s hard to resist. While these flowering shrubs are low-maintenance, proper care will keep them blooming. Our Hydrangea Guide provides summer plant care tips for all you need to know about growing hydrangeas—from watering to fertilizing to pruning to winter care.

About Hydrangeas

Unrivaled in the shrub world for beautiful flowers, these elegant plants are easy to cultivate, tolerate almost any soil, and produce abundant blooms. Colors beguile with clear blue, vibrant pink, frosty white, lavender, and rose blossoms—sometimes all blooming on the same plant!

Hydrangeas are excellent for a range of garden sites from group plantings to shrub borders to containers. Varieties abound (every year, it seems, breeders present us with more options!), and gardeners’ expectations of bloom size and color are boundless. To know how your hydrangea will grow, pay attention to the types, defined below. When you know what to expect, delights will be magnified.

Enjoy this ode to the beautiful of hydrangeas and learn how to grow hydrangeas in our guide below.

Planting

When to Plant Hydrangeas

Plant in spring after the last spring frost or in fall before the first fall frost. See local frost dates.
Plant before the heat of summer arrives.

Where to Plant Hydrangeas

Most hydrangeas will thrive in fertile, well-draining soils that receive plenty of moisture. Add compost to enrich poor soil.
Generally, hydrangeas prefer partial sun. Ideally, they will be given full sun in the morning, with some afternoon shade to protect from the hot midday sun. This is especially true for the Bigleaf hydrangea (H. macrophylla), which is prone to wilting. Some varieties are more tolerant of full sun.
Space hydrangeas anywhere from 3 to 10 feet apart, depending on type.

How to Plant Hydrangeas

Dig a hole as deep as the root ball and 2 to 3 times as wide.
Set the plant in the hole and fill it half full with soil. Water. After water is absorbed, fill the rest of the hole with soil.
Water thoroughly again.

Pink hydrangea flowers

How to Grow Hydrangeas from Cuttings

Hydrangeas can easily be grown from cuttings. They root readily and the process makes for a great lesson in propagation. Here’s how to do it:

On a well-established hydrangea, find a branch that is new growth and that has not flowered. New growth will appear lighter in color than old growth, and the stem will not be as rigid.
From the tip of the branch, move 4 to 5 inches down and make a horizontal cut. Make sure that there are at least 3 to 4 pairs of leaves on your cutting.
Remove the lowest pair of leaves from the cutting, trimming them flush to the stem. Roots grow more easily from these leaf nodes, so if you can afford to remove more than one pair of leaves, do so. Be sure to keep at least 2 pairs of leaves at the tip end of the cutting, though.
If the remaining leaves are quite large, cut them in half, removing the tip-half. This prevents the leaves from hitting the sides of the plastic bag you will place over the cutting later on (to keep the humidity up).
(Optional) Dust the leafless part of the stem with rooting hormone and an anti-fungal powder for plants (both available at a local hardware or garden store). This will encourage rooting and discourage rotting.
Prepare a small pot and fill it with moistened potting mix. Plant the cutting in the soil, sinking it down to the first pair of remaining leaves. Water lightly to get rid of any air gaps around the stem.
Cover the entire pot loosely with a plastic bag. Make sure the bag isn’t touching the leaves of the cutting, otherwise the leaves can rot. (Chopsticks or something similar can be used to prop up the bag and keep it off the leaves.)
Place the pot in a warm area that’s sheltered from direct sunlight and wind.
Check on your cutting every few days to make sure that it isn’t rotting and only water again once the top layer of soil is dry. With luck, the cutting should root in a few weeks! (Check by gently pulling on the cutting; if you feel resistance, roots have formed.)

Care

Hydrangea Care

Watering

For the first year or two after planting and during any drought, be sure hydrangeas get plenty of water.
Water at a rate of 1 inch per week throughout the growing season. It’s better to deeply water 3 times a week than sprinkle water in a shallow manner. This encourages root growth.
Bigleaf and smooth hydrangeas require more water, but all varieties benefit from consistent moisture.
Leaves will wilt if the soil is too dry, and flowering will be hampered by a lack of water.
Use a soaker hose to water deeply and keep moisture off the flowers and leaves.
It’s best to water in the morning to prepare hydrangeas for the the heat of the day and to avoid disease.
Add organic mulch underneath your hydrangeas to help keep the soil moist and cool, add nutrients over time, and improve soil texture.

Fertilizing

If your soil is rich, you may not need to fertilize hydrangeas. Too much fertilizer encourages leafy growth at the expense of blooms. The best way to determine your fertility needs is by using a soil test.

Apply fertilizer based on your specific hydrangeas. Each variety has different needs and will benefit from different application timing.

Bigleaf hydrangeas can benefit from several light fertilizer applications in March, May and June.
Oakleaf and panicle hydrangeas do best with two applications in April and June.
Smooth hydrangea plants only need fertilization once, in late winter.

Winter protection

In the fall, cover plants to a depth of at least 18 inches with bark mulch, leaves, pine needles, or straw in the fall. If at all possible, cover the entire plant, tip included, by making cages out of snow fencing or chicken wire, and loosely filling the cages with leaves. (Do not use maple leaves, as they tend to mat when wet and can suffocate the plant.)

How to Change the Color of Hydrangea Flowers

It is possible to change the flowers’ colors, but not instantly. Color correction takes weeks—even months. Wait until the plant is at least 2 years old to give it time to recover from the shock of its original planting. Also note that it’s easier to change blue flowers to pink than pink to blue.

It’s not every hydrangea that changes color. The color of some Bigleaf hydrangeas (H. macrophylla)—especially Mophead and Lacecap types—and H. serrata cultivars change color based on the soil pH.

Acidic soils with a pH of less than 5.5 produce blue flowers; soils with a pH greater than 5.5 produce pink flowers. White flowers are not affected by pH.

See How to Change the Color of Hydrangea Flowers for more information.

Hydrangea colors

How to Prune a Hydrangea

Many of our readers’ questions involve pruning hydrangeas. And no wonder—it’s confusing, and all depends on the variety of hydrangea. Luckily, as long as you know which type you’ve got, it’s easy to figure out what sort of pruning technique to employ.

Learn the essentials below, then read more about how to prune hydrangea varieties here.

Hydrangea Type	When to Prune	Where Flowers Appear
Bigleaf (H. macrophylla)	Summer, after flowering	On old growth
Oakleaf (H. quercifolia)	Summer, after flowering	On old growth
Panicle (H. paniculata)	Late winter, before spring growth	On new growth
Smooth (H. arborescens)	Late winter, before spring growth	On new growth
Mountain (H. serrata)	Summer, after flowering	On old growth
Climbing (H. anomala subsp. petiolaris)	Summer, after flowering	On old growth

Pruning Common Hydrangeas

The most common garden hydrangea shrub is the Bigleaf variety, Hydrangea macrophylla. (See more below.)

Bigleaf (H. macrophylla), Oakleaf (H. quercifolia), Mountain (H. serrata), and Climbing hydrangeas (H. anomala subsp. petiolaris) are pruned AFTER the flowers fade in the summer. These varieties bloom on the previous season’s stems (“old wood”).

Flower buds actually form in the late summer and flower afterwards the following season, so avoid pruning after August 1.
Only cut away dead wood in the fall or very early spring.
To prune, cut one or two of the oldest stems down to the base to encourage branching and fullness.
If the plant is old, neglected, or damaged, prune all the stems down to the base. You’ll lose the flowers for the upcoming season, but also rejuvenate the plant for future years.
It’s best not to deadhead (remove faded blooms) on the big Mopheads; leave them over the winter and cut them back in early spring (to the first healthy pair of buds). It’s fine to deadhead the Lacecaps; cut down to the second pair of leaves below the flower head.
When growing H. macrophylla (and H. serrata) varieties in Zones 4 and 5, do not prune unless absolutely necessary, and then do so immediately after blooming. Otherwise, remove only dead stem in the spring.

Other Hydrangeas

Panicle (H. paniculata) and Smooth (H. arborescens) hydrangeas are pruned BEFORE flower buds are formed. These varieties bloom on the current season’s stems (“new wood”).

Prune in the late winter when the plant is dormant. This means that if the buds are killed during the winter, the plant will produce new buds in the spring which will produce blooms.
In general, prune only dead branches, and do not prune to “shape” the bush.

Read more about how to prune hydrangea types.

Pests/Diseases

Protect against pests and disease by choosing resistant cultivars.

Powdery mildew, leaf spot, wilt, and bight can all appear on hydrangeas.
Pests are rare, but can appear when plants become stressed. Common pests include aphids and red spider mites.

Properly caring for hydrangeas is your best defense. (See above tips on watering and hydrangea care.)

Harvest/Storage

How to Cut and Store Dried Hydrangea Flowers

Use dried hydrangea flowers to create a wreath or other decorations around the house:

Cut the flower heads when the flowers have matured and developed a papery consistency.
Remove leaves from stems, and hang upside down in a warm, dry, dark, airy room.
When completely dry (usually a couple of weeks), store in a dry location out of direct sunlight.
To enhance flower color, spritz dry flowers with diluted fabric dye.

Bigleaf Hydrangea (mophead)

How to Use Hydrangeas in a Bouquet

Place the freshly cut hydrangea stems immediately into cold water to avoid wilting.
Recut the woody stems at a slant under water. Remove lower leaves on the stems.
Arrange the stems in a vase and place in a cool spot.
Check the water in the vase daily and mist the blooms with water.
Soak wilting blooms in cool water for 10 to 15 minutes to revive them.

Recommended Varieties

For a more detailed overview of the many types of hydrangeas, check out Hydrangea Varieties for Every Garden.

There are two main groups of hydrangeas:

Group 1: Plants that Bloom on New Growth (This Year’s Stems)

The following hydrangeas, which form their buds in early summer on new growth, will flower reliably each year, requiring no special care.

Panicle hydrangeas (Hydrangea paniculata)
- ‘Grandiflora’ is a big, old-fashioned, floppy variety, ‘Tardiva’, ‘White Moth’, and ‘Pee Wee’ fit the scale of small gardens. ‘Limelight’ produces cool-green flowers and grows to a height of 6 to 8 feet.
Smooth hydrangeas (H. arborescens)
- Look for the cultivars H. arborescens ‘Grandiflora’ and ‘Annabelle’, which produce many large (up to 14 inches across), tight, symmetrical blooms in late summer.

Bigleaf hydrangea lacecap
Image: Lacecap hydrangea

Group 2: Plants that Bloom on Old Growth (Last Year’s Stems)

If you live in Zone 8 or warmer, choose plants from this group. Gardeners in cool climate zones will find many of them a challenge, because they set flower buds in the fall. Although hardy to Zones 4 and 5, the buds are prone to damage by an early frost in fall, a late frost in spring, or excessively cold temperatures when dormant in winter. This, along with untimely pruning, can result in inconsistent flowering or no flowering at all.

Oakleaf hydrangeas (H. quercifolia)
- You can expect exceptional fall color from ‘Snow Queen’, ‘Snow Flake’, and ‘Alice’.
Bigleaf hydrangeas (H. macrophylla)
- We love ‘All Summer Beauty’ (Mophead), which has profuse, dark blue flowers—turning more pink in soils with near neutral pH. If its buds are winter-killed, the plant will form new ones in spring and still bloom.
- ‘Nikko Blue’ (Mophead) is vigorous, with large, rounded, blue flowers.
- ‘Blue Wave’ (Lacecap) produces rich blue to mauve or lilac-blue to pink flowers.
- ‘Color Fantasy’ (Mophead) has reddish or deep purple flowers and shiny, dark green leaves. It grows to about 3 feet tall.
Mountain hydrangeas (H. serrata)
- Examples are ‘Bluebird’ and ‘Diadem’. In acidic soil, ‘Preziosa’ produces blossoms of an extraordinary blend of pale shades of blue, mauve, violet, and green.
Climbing hydrangeas (H. anomala ssp. Petiolaris)
- ‘Firefly’ is a newly-patented variety exhibiting variegated foliage.

For more about hydrangea varieties, see Hydrangea Varieties for Every Garden.

Wit & Wisdom

The word “hydrangea” is derived from Greek hydor meaning “water” and angeion meaning “vessel,” referring to the plant’s seed pods, which look like small water jugs.
In the language of flowers, hydrangeas symbolize gratitude for being understood, or frigidity and heartlessness. See more flower meanings.

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Reader Comments

Plant hydrangea outside after

Plant hydrangea outside after the danger of frost is long past. Use a soil mix rich in sphagnum peat moss. To maintain acidity, fertilize once a month with aluminum sulfate. Only remove the blooms when they turn brown. If your flowers are droopy, you can use a peony hoop or stake them with cloth straps. What is your variety of hydrangea? Be sure to prune properly so that you do not mistakenly remove next year's buds! See this page on varieties.

Az.

I live in Phoenix where it gets incredibly hot. I have a continiously shady (cannot grow grass)area under a tree which also gets irrigation every two weeks. Would these grow there?

Hydrangea generally grow in

Hydrangea generally grow in cooler climates. If you want to try one, go for a variety called Oakleaf Hydrangea -- Hydrangea quercifolia. It grows in hotter climates, however, it does need well-drained soil. Check out this page for more details: http://azlandscape.blogspot.co...

Single long stemmed Hydrangea Natural Pink

These flowers were already growing sporadically in back yard, side yard, and utility path when I moved in. I dug up a lot and planted in common area. they grow to 5 or 5.5 feet and a few taller. there is only one flower to each stalk. Both old flowers and seedlings blown by wind come up each spring. One time I saw it sold as a chlerorhodendron (was on ticket) --each single stalk was for $13.00. I have found not such flower.

My flowers definitely look like the globe hydrangea on single stalks not bushes. Can you identify and explain how to take care of or point me to site regarding them.

Thanks a lot.

It's hard to tell what type

It's hard to tell what type of flower you have without seeing a photo. If you search for clerodendron instead of chlerorhodendron you'll be able to find some information and images online.

when to plant

I recently purchased a white hydrangea. I live in New York where the weather is finally getting warmer but the nights may be at 45 degrees. Is it too soon to plant outside? If so what temperature will they tolerate as a newly planted plant?

Plant the hydrangea when you

Plant the hydrangea when you are sure that you will not have more night frosts. A frost will kill your plant. If you decide to wait a week or two you can put the container outside during the day and bring it in at night.

Seattle area (zone 8b) Just

Seattle area (zone 8b) Just moved here so need to know which hydrangeas do well here. Have absolutely fallen in love w/ these flowers when selling my house and hope there are some that thrive here!??? thanks!

Yes, these lovelies are hardy

Yes, these lovelies are hardy to zone 8. The types you see most often in your area are "hydrangea macrophylla," commonly known as mopheads and lacecaps. Find examples on this page: http://www.joycreek.com/ref-hy...

Seattle

I lived in the Seattle area for 12 years and had several hydrangeas that did very well.. They were a beautiful blue and my favorite in the garden! Good luck.

Hydrangea macrophylla

I received one of these plants as a gift. The tag says hardiness zones 7 to 9. I live in Erie, PA, zone 5A, can I plant it outside or is it strictly a houseplant or can I plant it outside in the summer and bring it in in the winter? Thank you!

Often hydrangea plants that

Often hydrangea plants that come with foil around the pot are are one-time bloom. However, if yours has a tag indicating hardiness zone, then that suggests it's from a nursery. It is always best to plant the potted hydrangea outdoors whenever possible. Hydrangea plants need winter dormancy to "chill" if they are to bloom. Unfortunately, you did not receive a variety meant for your gardening zone. You can try it out; early or late freezes may damage flower buds and you may have less blooms. Plant in early to mid summer so it has time to acclimate before winter arrives.

my hydrange blooms dont age

I have a bigleaf hydrangea in a pot that i bought at a nursery with some blooms which don't age and just wilt. What is wrong?

Potted hydrangea need large

Potted hydrangea need large quantities of water and should never dry out. Check the soil several times a day. Do not allow the pot to sit in a pan of water for long though. If the plant still wilts severely, submerge both the pot and soil in a pan of deep water and allow it to sit there until the soil ball is thoroughly soaked. Drain. Also, make sure your hydrangea gets a lot of sun. Place it in a sunny window but not so direct that the blooms will burn. Hydrangeas like cool temps. At nighttime, keep in a room that is 50 to 60 degrees F.

Flowers

We just got in Hydrangea's and we are keeping them watered but some of the flower look like they are dying , is it because the are chilled or or over watering what would you say the problem is .I hope you can help us.

Are they in pots? Where do

Are they in pots? Where do you live? What type of hydrangea? You need to provide more information. Without knowing that, I'd say give it a shot of Miracle-Grow. Keep the soil moist at all times as this plant has a high water requirement and tends to dry rapidly in the home.

will not grow

WE RECEIVED A HYDRANGEA AT OUR DADDY'S FUNERAL IN 1989, WHICH MY HUSBAND PLANTED IN THE YARD. IN ALL THESE YEARS IT HAS NOT GROWN MUCH. THERE ONCE WAS PINE TREES IN THE YARD WHICH HAD LARGE ROOTS, THEY HAVE BEEN CUT DOWN BUT MY HUSBAND THINKS THAT SOME PINE ROOTS MIGHT BE WRAPPED AROUND THE HYDRANGEA ROOT, THEREFORE HINDERING ITS GROWTH. WE WANT TO DIG IT UP AND REPLANT IT IN A DIFFERENT SPOT BUT I AM AFRAID IT MIGHT DIE. MY HUSBAND THINKS THAT IF WE DO IT NOW, IT WILL BE OK. WHAT DO YOU RECOMMEND?

It's best to transplant

It's best to transplant hydrangeas when they are dormant but you can go ahead and transplant now. Make sure to get as much of the root system as you can and plant it right away in a prepared new spot. Good luck!

How can you identify the type of hydrangea you have?

I'm just a beginner when it comes to hydrangeas and did not realize that different types are pruned at different times and in different ways. I have acquired several hydrangeas but have no idea what type they are! Can anyone tell me how to identify them??

To identify hydrangeas, you

To identify hydrangeas, you could always take a sample to your county cooperative extension or garden center. We also found this handy site online. Click "shrub index" and click "H" and you'l find many varieties and tutorials: http://utgardens.tennessee.edu...

I received a hydrangea when

I received a hydrangea when my friend passed away last month...I live in zone 4 and it's too soon to plant. I've kept the plant watered and now my blooms are all dying! What have I done wrong and is this plant dead??

Do you know what variety of

Do you know what variety of hydrangea you have? (See Recommended Varieties above.) In Zone 4, some common hydrangea varieties will not survive or they are at their northern limit of their hardiness and just don't belong there. If you are not sure of the variety, perhaps you could clip a sample to bring to your local garden center.

I have bought 4 macropbylla

tey are for my dughters wedding. i hve had them out side in the day and put them in the garage at night unfortunatly the frost was so hard it has frozen them in there i have put them in the green house now but am i to late

It depends on when the

It depends on when the wedding is. If the buds (blossoms) were damaged it will take a while for new buds to form. If the stems are green it will grow back.

help :(

My husband bought me a hyrenagea for Valentine's Day - was beautiful for the first couple of days but has steadily declined in health - started with wilting leaves, drooping flowers - i watered it a little bc the soil seemed dry then the leaves drooped, now its just a mess the leaves are all dried up, and the roots are too wet - i tried repotting bc the weather is still very cool - what do i do? can i plant it outside now with temps in the 20's?

It's still too cold to plant

It's still too cold to plant the hydrangea outside. Repot it in a bigger pot with fresh soil and let the plant dry out. Then water just enough to keep the soil moist. Keep the plant away from bright windows.

thank you so much! ill do

thank you so much! ill do that!

hydrangea in pot

Mine did the same thing, and let it go thinking it was a goner. I noticed this morning that it has sprouted new growth on the stems, so I've watered it a little and will keep a close eye on it until I can replant it outside...so don't give up!

spring buds

I have a blue mophead. This is my first experiance with hydrangeas and I just want to make sure I didn't ruin them. I cut them back some last summer after they had fully bloomed and now im noticing new buds, however they are black in color. Is this normal?

The pruning didn't ruin your

The pruning didn't ruin your plant. Your plant requires enough warm days in the fall to mature the new buds forming before the cold of winter. The black buds are caused by winter cold.