Which Hydrangea Should I Plant?
15 Top Hydrangea Types for Different Garden Situations
Get help picking the best hydrangea for your garden!
In recent years, the hydrangea market has seen an influx of new varieties, with each boasting unique characteristics and attributes. With this surge in options, it's no wonder that gardeners may find themselves overwhelmed when trying to select the perfect hydrangea for their landscape! The sheer volume of choices, coupled with varying bloom colors, sizes, and growth habits, can make the decision-making process seem daunting. As a result, even experienced gardeners might feel uncertain about which hydrangea is the right fit for their specific needs and preferences.
This article offers a comprehensive guide to assist you in selecting the ideal hydrangea for your specific garden situation. With 15 distinct options tailored to various environments and preferences, you'll find valuable insights into factors like light requirements, disease resistance, size and hardiness. Whether you're seeking a hydrangea for a sunny spot, a shady corner, or a container garden, this article will provide detailed recommendations to ensure your garden flourishes with the right hydrangea selection.
Dozens of species belong to the Hydrangea genus of flowering plants, yet only six types of hydrangea are commonly cultivated for garden use - bigleaf, panicle, smooth, oakleaf, mountain, and climbing. Each type has its own distinct requirements for light, pruning, soil, moisture, and hardiness zones. Unfortunately, no hydrangea is deer-resistant - deer will eat hydrangea flower buds and leaves, especially the tender young growth. If deer browsing is a problem in your garden, consider planting a different flowering shrub like Ruby Spice summersweet clethra or Japanese andromeda.
There's a treasure trove of hydrangea information waiting for you in the next section of this article. Let’s dive deep into 15 different types of hydrangeas, each tailored to suit various garden situations and preferences. Whether you're dealing with limited space, seeking a native option, or simply want to level up your curb appeal, this article will help you navigate the ever-growing hydrangea section of the nursery to find the perfect match for your green space!
Best for: No Pruning
Pop Star® Reblooming Hydrangea
(Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Bailmacsix’)
Endless Summer® Pop Star® Reblooming Hydrangea. Photo courtesy of Bailey Nurseries.
Looking for the easiest hydrangea to grow, with no pruning required? The Endless Summer® Pop Star® hydrangea blooms on both old and new wood, and remains a compact 18-36 inches tall and wide with no pruning needed! With its heavy flower production of stunning blue or pink lacecap blooms (the color depends on your soil's pH), it provides non-stop beauty in the garden all summer long. If you've ever wondered which hydrangea blooms the most with very little effort, Pop Star® is the best choice for a low-maintenance, high-reward garden delight. Zones 4-9.
2. Best for: Cold Hardiness
Fire Light® Panicle Hydrangea
(Hydrangea paniculata 'SMHPFL')
Fire Light® Panicle Hydrangea. Photo courtesy of Proven Winners, provenwinners.com.
The Fire Light® panicle hydrangea is exceptionally cold hardy. It’s capable of withstanding winter temperatures as low as -30 degrees Fahrenheit, making it one of the best hydrangeas for cold climates. This shrub is easy to grow in partial to full sun, flowering heavily all summer long with panicle-shaped flowers emerging creamy white and aging to deep reddish-pink. Fire Light® reaches a mature size 6-8 feet tall and wide in zones 3-8.
3. Best for: Native Gardens
Oakleaf Hydrangea
(Hydrangea quercifolia)
Oakleaf Hydrangea
The straight species of the oakleaf hydrangea is native to the moist woodlands and stream banks of the Southeastern United States. It has year-round beauty, with showy late spring and summer flowers, burgundy fall color and beautiful cinnamon-colored bark providing four seasons of interest. This large, irregularly shaped shrub grows 6-8 feet tall and wide and prefers uniformly moist soil (it does not like wet or soggy soil). If native plants are important to you, make sure you purchase the straight species as you would find it in the wild - it goes by the botanical name “Hydrangea quercifolia”, with no cultivar names attached. Zones 5-9.
4. Best for: Creating Drama
Eclipse® Bigleaf Hydrangea
(Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Bailmacseven’)
First Editions® Eclipse® Bigleaf Hydrangea. Photo courtesy of Proven Winners, provenwinners.com.
The Eclipse® hydrangea makes a dramatic statement in the garden, with striking foliage and cranberry or purple mophead flowers guaranteed to catch the eye! This unusual dark-leaved hydrangea has beautiful foliage that holds an intense, dark-purple, almost black shade all season long. The Eclipse® bigleaf hydrangea likes morning sun and afternoon shade, making it one of the best hydrangeas for the east side of the house. Grows a compact 3-5 feet tall and wide. Zones 5-9.
5. Best for: Heat Resistance
Little Hottie® Panicle Hydrangea
(Hydrangea paniculata ‘Bailpanone’)
First Editions® Little Hottie® Panicle Hydrangea. Photo courtesy of Bailey Nurseries.
The compact Little Hottie® panicle hydrangea is one of the best hydrangeas for hot sun, summer heat and hot weather. Panicle-shaped flowers remain a crisp white all summer long, without burning or turning brown, and will turn pink when cooler autumn temperatures arrive. Little Hottie® reaches a mature size of 3-5 feet tall and wide, and prefers full sun to partial shade. The best hydrangea for the hot, sunny west side of the house! Zones 3-8.
6. Best for: Dried Flowers
Nikko Blue Hydrangea
(Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Nikko Blue’)
Nikko Blue Bigleaf Hydrangea
The classic mophead flowers of the Nikko Blue bigleaf hydrangea bloom all summer long, in shades ranging from steel blue to pink (flower color depends on the pH of the soil). In late summer or early fall, flower heads can be harvested, brought indoors, and dried in vases or by hanging upside down. Nikko Blue is also one of the best hydrangeas for cut flowers or to grow in a cutting garden. This shrub reaches 4-6 feet tall and wide, and prefers partial shade. Make sure to keep Nikko Blue away from the hot afternoon sun, or the leaves and flower heads may wilt and droop. Zones 6-9.
7. Best for: Privacy Hedge
Limelight Hydrangea
(Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’)
Limelight Hydrangea.
When it comes to using hydrangeas to create a robust privacy screen, look no further than the Limelight hydrangea. Its large, open, irregular shape makes it the best hydrangea to plant for a privacy screen or privacy hedge. Space a row of these shrubs at 3 feet on center to create a lush, dense barrier. A Limelight hydrangea hedge is useful for marking boundary lines, bringing drama to the landscape and creating privacy from spring through fall. This large, 6-8 foot tall and wide shrub has panicle-shaped flowers that emerge lime green and change to white and pink as the season progresses. For optimal flowering, grow in 4+ hours of direct sunlight per day. Zones 3-9a.
8. Best for: Avoiding Powdery Mildew
Endless Summer® BloomStruck® Reblooming Hydrangea
(Hydrangea macrophylla ‘PIIHM-II’)
Bloomstruck® Reblooming Hydrangea
If plants in your garden are prone to developing powdery mildew, a fungal disease that covers foliage with unsightly patches of white powder, consider planting a BloomStruck® hydrangea. It has increased disease resistance, especially to powdery mildew, and reliably blooms all summer long in shades of pink or blue (flower colors depend on the pH of the soil). Grows 3-5 feet tall and wide and prefers partial sun. Zones 4-9.
9. Best for: Flop-Resistant Blooms
Incrediball® Smooth Hydrangea
(Hydrangea arborescens ‘Abetwo’)
Incrediball® Smooth Hydrangea. Photo courtesy of Proven Winners, provenwinners.com.
Smooth hydrangeas are renowned for their lush green foliage and large, snowball-like blooms that have a tendency to flop over from the weight of the massive flower heads. The Incrediball® hydrangea has strong stems with the ability to resist flopping, ensuring a striking display of flowers in the garden, even after a heavy rain storm! Easy to grow in full sun to partial shade, this elegant hydrangea will reach a mature size of 5-8 feet tall and wide. Zones 3-8.
10. Best for: Fall Color
Ruby Slippers Oakleaf Hydrangea
(Hydrangea quercifollia ‘Ruby Slippers’)
Ruby Slippers Oakleaf Hydrangea
If you are looking for a hydrangea with spectacular fall color, look no further than the Ruby Slippers oakleaf hydrangea. In autumn, the lobed, oak-like leaves of this cultivar ignite the landscape with a fiery red glow. Amazing fall color, striking white to pink flowers and cinnamon-colored exfoliating bark give this shrub year-round appeal. An easy, low-maintenance choice for partial to full sun in zones 5-9.
11. Best for: Pots and Containers
Kanmara® Splendour in Strong Pink Bigleaf Hydrangea
(Hydrangea macrophylla ‘H211904’)
Kanmara® Splendour in Strong Pink
The Kanmara® Splendor In Strong Pink hydrangea has an abundance of huge, sterile pink mophead flowers held atop dark green foliage - this plant makes a statement! It is well-suited for containers, pots and planters in partial to full shade, and will brighten up the dark corners of covered porches, balconies and patios. Flowers bloom from late spring through early autumn in zones 6-9.
12. Best for: Attracting Pollinators
Haas’ Halo Smooth Hydrangea
(Hydrangea arborescens ‘Haas’ Halo’)
Image credit: Yamasa-n, Unsplash
The Haas’ Halo smooth hydrangea received top marks in the Mt. Cuba Center’s native hydrangea trials. It has large white lacecap flowerheads comprised of sterile outer flowers surrounding hundreds of tiny, fertile inner florets. Bees and other pollinating insects flock to these nectar-rich inner florets, making this hydrangea a must-have for pollinator gardens, wildlife, or anyone interested in making their yard more bee-friendly. Haas’ Halo is not as widely available as other types of hydrangeas, but well-worth seeking out from an online retailer - the honey bees will thank you! Grows 3-5 feet tall and wide in zones 3-9a.
13. Best for: Shade
Bluebird Mountain Hydrangea
(Hydrangea serrata ‘Bluebird’)
Bluebird Mountain Hydrangea
The Bluebird hydrangea is cultivated variety of the mountain hydrangea, a flowering shrub native to the mountainous regions of Korea and Japan. It thrives in cool, moist, shady sites that mimic this native environment, and requires only 2-4 hours of direct or dappled sunlight per day (and full shade in hot southern climates). Don’t be fooled by the delicate flowers - this is a tough and dependable plant, with few insect or pest problems. Flower heads range in color from blue to purple-pink, depending on the soil pH. Zones 5-9.
14. Best for: Foundation Planting
Little Lime® Panicle Hydrangea
(Hydrangea paniculata ‘Jane’)
Little Lime® Panicle Hydrangea. Photo courtesy of Proven Winners, provenwinners.com.
Looking to spruce up your home's exterior? Looking for the best hydrangea for the front of the house? The Little Lime panicle hydrangea is the perfect choice for your foundation planting, with green flowers turning white and pink that effortlessly complement any door, house, or porch color scheme. A compact, low-growing habit means you won't have to worry about this shrub overtaking your front entry, and reliable blooms give your home curb appeal all summer long. Grows 3-5 feet tall and wide in zones 3-8.
15. Best for: A Small Garden
Fire Light Tidbit® Panicle Hydrangea
(Hydrangea paniculata 'SMNHPK')
Fire Light Tidbit® Panicle Hydrangea. Photo courtesy of Proven Winners, provenwinners.com.
The Fire Light Tidbit® panicle hydrangea is a game-changer for small spaces, boasting a compact and mounded habit that won't overwhelm your garden beds or walkways. This versatile shrub grows to a mature size of just 2-3 feet tall and wide, and can be used as a stand-alone specimen plant, or planted in a row to create a low hedge. The perfect hydrangea for small yards and gardens with limited space! Flowers emerge white and transition to shades of pink and red as summer progresses. Zones 3-8.