Solve one of the biggest issues with hydrangeas—unreliable bloom—by planting panicle hydrangeas from Proven Winners. Whether you’re looking to plant a living screen or fill patio pots, there’s a hydrangea to fit your needs.
Contributors:Susan Martin
See our complete guide to growing panicle hydrangeas
A question we hear time and again from gardeners everywhere is “Why didn’t my hydrangea bloom?” While there are many reasons why hydrangeas sometimes fail to bloom,a leading culprit is frigid winter temperatures or a late freeze that killed the flower buds.
Panicle hydrangeas from Proven Winners are the most reliably blooming, low maintenance, hardy hydrangeas you can grow. Since they bloom on new growth each summer, there is no chance for the flower buds to be damaged by winter cold because they simply haven’t been formed yet. The result is a reliable show of gorgeous blooms every year from mid to late summer well into fall.
Three Steps to Guaranteed Success
- Plant panicle hydrangeas in full sun in the north and afternoon shade in the south. They need plenty of light to form flower buds.
- If you’d like to prune them to encourage more branching, do so in spring just as the new growth appears. You can trim the branches back by as much as 1/3 each year if necessary. Also, remove any dried flowers that have hung on through the winter at this time to tidy up the plants’ appearance.
- Water panicle hydrangeas regularly to keep them growing strong and to achieve the most notable color change from white to pink or red in the fall.
Changing Flower Colors
Whereas many bigleaf hydrangeas (H. macrophylla) can have pink or blue flowers depending on the soil, the color of panicle hydrangeas’ flowers do not change based on the soil chemistry. Rather, it is a change in temperature that triggers their flowers to turn from white to pink or red in the fall. In southern zones where nighttime temperatures are still quite warm in the fall, the color change will not be as pronounced as it is in the north where temperatures fall quite a bit more at night.
Top 3 Mid-Sized Panicle Hydrangeas for Containers and Landscapes
BOBO® - One of the heaviest flowering panicle hydrangeas out there, Bobo will amaze you with its large, white flowers which turn pink in fall.
Height: 2 ½-3 feet | LITTLE QUICK FIRE™ - This dwarf form of Quick Fire® also blooms early and is one of the first to change color from white to pink in summer. Height: 3-5 feet |
LITTLE LIME® - This dwarf form of ‘Limelight’ produces loads of soft green flowers that turn pink and burgundy in fall.
Height: 3-5 feet |
Top 3 Large Panicle Hydrangeas for Living Screens, Specimens and Landscapes
‘Limelight’ – The showy blooms of this classic favorite open creamy white, age to lime green, then turn deep pink in fall.
Height: 6-8 feet |
PINKY WINKY® - Grown for its enormous blooms on sturdy stems, Pinky Winky’s flowers change slowly from white to pink, resulting in a bicolor look.
Height: 6-8 feet |
FIRE LIGHT® - Incredibly showy flowers which open white and quickly turn deep red have earned this new variety high marks.
Height: 4 ½-6 feet |
Find more panicle hydrangeas from Proven Winners here.
FAQs
The result is a reliable show of gorgeous blooms every year from mid to late summer well into fall. Plant panicle hydrangeas in full sun in the north and afternoon shade in the south.
What is the most reliable blooming hydrangea? ›
Panicle hydrangeas are among the most reliably blooming and cold-tolerant hydrangeas available to today's gardeners.
What are the best repeat blooming hydrangeas? ›
After being discovered by Bailey Nurseries in St. Paul, Minnesota, Endless Summer® hydrangea is introduced as the first hydrangea to bloom on old and new wood, launching the category of “reblooming hydrangeas.” Let's Dance Can Do! ® hydrangea, the fastest, most reliable rebloomer to date, is introduced.
What type of hydrangeas come back every year? ›
Panicle and smooth hydrangeas flower on new wood (growth created in the current season). Flower buds form after the plant leafs out in spring, and open a few months later in summer. As a result, these plants flower reliably each year, no matter how cold the winter was.
What is the most popular panicle hydrangea? ›
'Limelight' has been described as one of the best panicle types to date, with large, greenish-white blooms that age to "vintage pink" when the temperatures drop.
What is the easiest hydrangea to maintain? ›
Oakleaf varieties are the easiest type of hydrangeas for beginners to grow. Why are oakleaf hydrangeas so easy? They aren't picky! Oakleaf hydrangeas can tolerate colder weather, handle more sun, withstand drought, are more disease/pest resistant and grow in sandy soil better than other hydrangeas.
Which hydrangea blooms the longest? ›
Panicle hydrangeas are a fantastic choice for adding late-season interest to your garden. As other plants start to fade, panicle hydrangeas burst into bloom, stealing the spotlight with their showy panicles of flowers. Their long-lasting flowers persist well into the fall, extending the beauty of your garden.
Which hydrangeas bloom all season? ›
Endless Summer hydrangeas actually enjoy partial shade to full sun and are able to bloom on both old and new growth from spring through summer or early summer to fall, depending on the climate you live in.
What is the difference between panicle and oakleaf hydrangeas? ›
If it has multilobed leaves, like an oak tree, and cone-shaped flowers, it is an oakleaf hydrangea. If it has leaves that come to a point at the end and cone-shaped flowers, it is a panicle hydrangea.
Is limelight hydrangea a panicle hydrangea? ›
'Limelight' - Panicle Hydrangea - Hydrangea paniculata.
Cone shaped blooms without the oak-shaped leaf mean you have a Panicle Hydrangea, Hydrangea paniculata. Blue blooms are a giveaway you have a Big Leaf Hydrangea, Hydrangea macrophylla.
What not to plant with hydrangeas? ›
Not all plants pair well with hydrangeas. Here are some combinations to avoid: Sunflower prefers full sun and hotter conditions than hydrangeas, which require some shade. Lavender is a sun-loving perennial that performs best in dry conditions and leaner soil, so will not thrive near hydrangeas.
Why are my panicle hydrangeas not blooming? ›
There are plenty of reasons why your hydrangeas may not be blooming as much as they once did. Conditions like extreme heat, drought, or excessive sun exposure can all impact how many flowers your shrubs produce. Pruning is also an important consideration.
Should I cut back panicle hydrangea? ›
To maintain the flowering and compact growth of your panicle hydrangea, annual pruning is advisable. However, for those who do not have enough time or for whom the panicle hydrangea is located, for example, in a flower hedge, please note: Hydrangea paniculata grows excellently even without pruning.
Should you deadhead panicle hydrangeas? ›
You should deadhead throughout the blooming season to keep your hydrangeas looking their beast and encourage new flower growth. However, stop deadheading hydrangea shrubs in mid to late fall, leaving any spent blooms in place.
Why did my hydrangeas bloom last year but not this year? ›
The primary reasons hydrangeas don't bloom are incorrect pruning, bud damage due to winter and/or early spring weather, location and too much fertilizer. Hydrangea varieties can be of the type that blooms on old wood, new wood or both. Old wood is the current year's growth and new wood is next year's (spring) growth.
A question we hear time and again from gardeners everywhere is “Why didn’t my hydrangea bloom?” While there are many reasons why hydrangeas sometimes fail to bloom,a leading culprit is frigid winter temperatures or a late freeze that killed the flower buds.
LITTLE QUICK FIRE™
