Late Panicle Hydrangea

This was the first hydrangea I became aware of, once I became interested in gardening. There is something very attractive, even alluring, about this plant – you will notice that all the florets do not open, only some of them. This creates, to me anyway, a kind of frothy appearance that is textured and makes a good backdrop to plants.

Many hydrangeas today, patented Proven Winners sorts, have florets that all open, and some are even double. They are pretty, but in a landscape be prepared for them to be quite loud. And your space might call for that! But I’ve decided here to offer one that might be harder to find, although more commonplace.

This shrub grows 6-8′ but can be pruned at the end of winter to 3′ or so. It likes good moisture retentive soil and the more sun it gets, the better the soil should be.