With their clustering blooms and rainbow of color varieties, hydrangeas (Hydrangea spp.) are a garden favorite in summertime. Although when most people think of the plant they imagine bigleaf hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla), hardy to U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 9, there are actually several types.
Hydrangeas in Sun
As a rule, hydrangeas prefer to receive morning sun and afternoon shade. Some species, like the panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata), hardy in USDA zones 3 through 8, like full sun but grow in partial shade. Most, however, prefer a mix of sun and shade. Because their leaves are so large and they lose water easily, they do not do well in locations where they never get a break; in those situations, most hydrangeas wilt.
Hydrangeas in Shade
Although some hydrangeas are quite devoted to sunlight, several can survive and even thrive in partial or deep shade. Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia), hardy to USDA zones 5 through 9, is one example of a shade lover, though it grows happily in partial sun. Usually, though, hydrangeas like shade when it is providing a break from the sun, not as a constant.
Apart from the variance among hydrangeas regarding light levels, they share similar tolerances and requirements. Hydrangeas don’t need tons of water, but they like their soil consistently moist – about an inch of water per week. They also prefer a rich growing medium that has been amended with considerable amounts of organic material, like compost or manure.
Hydrangeas are known best for their huge, globe-shaped flowers that bloom in late spring and early summer. In a few cases, like that of the panicle hydrangea, blooms last from June through September. Hydrangeas perform well as hedges and borders and equally well as accents and statement pieces. They perform when massed together as well as they do alone and add nice color to woodland gardens.
- University of Massachusetts Amherst: Growing Hydrangeas
- University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences: Hydrangea: A Southern Tradition
- Missouri Botanical Garden: Hydrangea Macrophylla "Shamrock"
- Missouri Botanical Garden: Hydrangea Paniculata
- Missouri Botanical Garden: Hydrangea Quercifolia
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