Hydrangea paniculata
August is perhaps the most challenging of all the months during the growing season for the home gardener. Perennial and annual gardens alike look tired and overgrown and many flowering shrubs and trees have finished flowering for the season. However, this time of the year is the heyday for the panicle hydrangea, Hydrangea paniculata.
For years there were very few selections of Hydrangea paniculata available to home gardeners. Generally, the peegee hydrangea was ubiquitously planted in cemeteries and home gardens. Today there are dozens of choices of cultivars of Hydrangea paniculata including diminutive cultivars, pink forms, early blooming and late blooming selections, but the peegee hydrangea, Hydrangea paniculata ‘Grandiflora’ remains one of my favorites.
Like all Hydrangea paniculata selections, ‘Grandiflora’ can either be pruned hard in the winter and maintained as a shrub or it can be allowed to grow into a very large shrub reaching up to 25 feet tall. It can also be grown as a standard, where a single stem is selected and all the growth and flowering sits atop a single stout stem.
From August and into September Hydrangea paniculata ‘Grandiflora’ is covered in 1-foot long conical flower heads. Each individual flower has four pure white floral bracts. This hydrangea should be planted in full sun for best flowering to occur.
In addition to Hydrangea paniculata ‘Grandiflora’, I also love the new introduction called ‘Limelight’. The flowering time and size of flowers are very similar to ‘Grandiflora’, however as the new flowers emerge they are a beautiful lime-green which can really brighten a garden as the sun sets. As the flowers mature they too become massive heads of pure white flowers.
Without a doubt these are two of the most ornamental shrubs for late summer. Both cultivars have a long bloom time and as the flowers fade they take on casts of burgundy and pink and eventually become tawny brown adding interest to both the fall and winter landscape.
Jon October 26, 2008 at 12:20 am
Floribunda is much more showy.
charlotte s. holtvedt May 23, 2010 at 6:47 am
i am interested in purchasing a “limelight” hydrangea paniculata. please advise where i can find these plants. i live in the greenville, n.c. region.
charlotte holtvedt
Andrew Bunting May 25, 2010 at 7:50 am
For Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’ try:
http://www.hydrangea.com/
Jim June 17, 2010 at 2:30 pm
Hi: I think you’ve done a nice job on this presentation of the Limelight Hydrangea. I just planted one this very day. I had a Pee Gee Hydrangea Standard for the last 3 years, but something caused it to not leaf out this year. When I pulled it from the soil. the rootball was totally dead. Like I said the tree had been in the ground only 3 years. Very disappointing as I love these trees. Anyway not to belabour the point. Please keep up the ngood work. I will say fantastic job on your presentation!
Kindest regards: Jim Booker
Andrew Bunting June 18, 2010 at 9:15 am
Jim,
It is hard to say why your hydrangea died, but it sounds like root rot. If your plant did not have good drainage then the problem might have become worse with all the melting snow this spring.
Andrew Bunting, Curator
Scott Arboretum
GINAMARIE July 30, 2010 at 10:28 am
OMG I HAVE SEVERAL OF THESE THAT I PLANTED ON MY NEW PROPERTY..AND I LOVE THEM EVEN HUBBY IS IN LOVE WITH THEM..THE BLOOMS ARE MASSIVE AND STRONG AND FULL OF PEDALS..LOOKING FORWARD TO ADD MORE AS THE YRS GO. I POST ON MY FB PAGE SO COME & TAKE A PEEK
Debbie April 30, 2011 at 10:02 pm
I would like to purchase some limelight hydrangeas but am having a difficult time finding them locally. I live in Spartanburg, S.C. Can you tell me where I could buy these? Thank you!
Andrew Bunting May 2, 2011 at 7:37 pm
Bluestone Perennials lists it: http://www.bluestoneperennials.com