Indoor Hydrangea Care: Mophead Hydrangeas for Cool, Bright Rooms

Botanical Name: Hydrangea macrophylla

Good hydrangea care includes cool air, bright light, and moist soil.

Dozens of species exist. Best for indoors is Hydrangea macrophylla—the mophead hydrangea with hundreds of varieties.

This plant knows how to show off. Big, round clusters of small flowers cover it all summer in blue, violet-blue, white, pink, or red. A potted hydrangea looks stunning on a dining table or anywhere you want instant garden ambience.

Hydrangea shrubs are perennials. Woody stems densely covered with big, oval, deep-green leaves.

Hydrangea Care and Maintenance

Keep the Soil Moist Dry soil kills this plant. Yellow leaves that fall off signal dry soil. Flowering plants are thirsty—check soil daily while blooming.

How to Keep Blue Flowers Blue Blue hydrangeas need acidic soil (pH 5.5 and lower) or they'll turn pink. Alkaline soils (pH 7+) suit pink varieties. To keep blue, add sulphur while blooming. Neutral pH (5.5–7) makes flowers purple or pink-blue mix. Not all cultivars change to blue—buy the color you want and maintain it.

Hydrangea Pruning Tips Mopheads don't need pruning unless controlling size. Cutting ~1/3 of oldest stems gives a fuller plant. When to prune: after blossoms fade.

Pruning Hydrangea Care Tip: Don't tear stems—damages plant. Use clean, sharp pruners at 45° angle, ¼-inch above a leaf axle.

Overwintering Your Plant If keeping indoors, repot after flowering, cut stems back by half. Keep cool in winter, then move to warmer conditions in late winter to bring into bloom.

Meet hydrangea's needs and it'll bloom year after year.

Hydrangea Care Quick Reference

Origin: Japan

Height: 2 ft (60 cm) indoors

Light: At least 4 hours bright, indirect light daily

Water: Keep soil evenly moist, not soggy while growing and flowering. Use lime-free water (lime makes soil alkaline). Keep barely moist in winter.

Humidity: Average room humidity

Temperature: Cool to average, 45–65°F (7–18°C)

Soil: Peat-based lime-free soil for blue varieties

Fertilizer: Feed every 2 weeks spring and summer with balanced liquid fertilizer (10-10-10) diluted by half. Or use slow-release fertilizer once in spring and again in summer. Go easy—too much scorches leaves.

Propagation: Take 4 inch (10 cm) stem tip cuttings in spring or early summer, root in moist potting mix.