Panicle Hydrangeas

Brown thumb? No worries, brown and green thumb gardeners alike can have success growing panicle hydrangeas, the hardiest and most adaptable of the hydrangeas.

Grow these summer bloomers in full sun to partial shade with moist well-drained soil. And once established they will tolerate drier conditions.

These low maintenance plants are hardy in zones 3 to 8 and 9 to 10 on the west coast. And best of all you’ll need to do minimal pruning if you select a variety that fits the space and your landscape design.

You’ll find small varieties like Bobo that only grow 2 to 3 feet tall to tall varieties like Limelight with lime green flowers that grow 6 to 10 feet tall and quite a few varieties in between.

Enjoy the cone shaped white flowers that fade to pink and then brown. Leave the dried flowers on the plant for winter interest.

A bit more information: Don’t bother to change the soil pH as it won’t change the flower color. Consider some of the varieties like Vanilla Strawberry with large flowers that change from white to pink to strawberry red or Pinkie Winkie that develop bi-color white and pink flowers.