Growing Hydrangeas: Complete Guide to Varieties, Care & Pruning

Hydrangeas are beloved—romantic, stunning, and the #2 wedding flower after roses. The good news: there's a hydrangea for almost every garden (sun, shade, acid, alkaline). They can be finicky but absolutely worth it. Here's everything you need to grow spectacular hydrangeas for garden or vase.

Hydrangea Basics

Sun & Shade

Most prefer morning sun, afternoon shade. Coastal/cool climates ideal. Too much heat or too little sun hurts performance. PeeGee tolerates heat; Oakleaf thrives in partial shade. None bloom in deep shade.

Water & Fertilizer

Keep evenly moist; love fertile soil. Use half-strength liquid fertilizer to avoid excessive leaf growth at flower expense.

Pruning

Most bloom on old wood—prune only dead wood in spring, deadhead spent blooms. PeeGee and Annabelle are more tolerant.

Soil & Color

Rich organic matter preferred. Pink/blue varieties change with soil pH: add aluminum sulfate for blue (acidic). Turning blue to pink is difficult.

Common Problem: No Blooms

Usually caused by late freeze, wrong variety for climate, or over-pruning old wood. See KariAnne's tips at Thistlewood Farms.

Popular Varieties

Mopheads (H. macrophylla): Classic pink/blue balls. Hate summer heat.

Lacecaps (H. macrophylla normalis): Delicate, naturalized look.

Oakleaf (H. arborescens): Oak-shaped leaves turn purple/red in fall; conical white summer flowers. Heat/shade/drought tolerant.

PeeGee (H. paniculata): Large conical white-to-pink blooms. Cold-hardy, needs sun, can be hedged or tree-formed. Blooms Aug–Sept.

Cold-Zone: 'Annabelle' (H. arborescens): Huge white flowers (10"), hardy to zone 3.

Reblooming: 'Endless Summer' (H. macrophylla): Blooms repeatedly on new/old wood. Compact, partial shade, pink/blue. Great for containers.

New: 'Next Generation Pistachio' (Wayside Gardens): Compact 3–5 ft, shade-tolerant, lime-green petals edged in pink. Zones 5–9.

Extra effort growing hydrangeas pays off for generations of beauty.