When I say the word “hydrangea” most of us immediately think of the traditional “mophead” shrub (with big leaves and big, ball-shaped flowers) that grows in the shade and sports mostly blue to purple flowers in our northwest acidic soils. The truth is that there are dozens of different species of Hydrangeas, but most of the cultivated varieties fall into about 6 species (two of which are North American natives), some of which prefer shade, and some that actually grow best in full sun. There are even several vining varieties that are self-clinging and will attach themselves to a fence or clamor up to the tippy top of a tree. In any typical yard you can easily find multiple locations where a Hydrangea will thrive. The real challenge is in winnowing down the choices. In my old garden I had two different vining types, a couple of sun lovers, 4 different shade varieties, and even an oddball arboreal specimen (Hydrangea aspera) that was 12 feet tall. So far in my new garden I only have a few planted, but I am still just getting started. There is after all always room for one more hydrangea, or any plant for that matter.
In the last 10 to 15 years there has been a massive proliferation of new and improved forms of Hydrangeas. For the most part, the breeders have made the shade-loving mopheads more compact and repeat bloomers so that they fit better into our smaller lots and bloom for a much longer time, even if they are pruned improperly or Mother Nature kills them down to the ground. As for the sun-loving “Pee Gee” Hydrangeas that traditionally only came in white, you can now choose from multiple varieties that start out white but quickly mature to lovely tones of pink or red and eventually to a warm rust. And of course, these new forms are also much more compact, which makes them easier to manage. Some are even so tight that they work well in a container.
Because it can feel overwhelming to go into a garden center in July and see all the options for Hydrangeas, I reached out to Sunnyside Nursery’s general manager Trevor Cameron and asked him to name 6 of his top favorites (not an easy thing to do for a plant nerd). Here are his recommendations…
Pop Star – Part of the 'Endless Summer’ collection from Bailey Nurseries, this is a super compact lacecap that only reaches 2 to 3 feet tall and as wide and blooms prolifically. By the way, a “lacecap” is simply a more delicate looking “mophead”.
Summer Crush – Another choice in the ‘Endless Summer’ collection (since 2004, Bailey Nurseries has introduced 6 in this line and you can recognize them all by their blue pots), ‘Summer Crush' blooms in a rich raspberry red to purple - a nice change from all the blue forms available.
Fire Island — From Monrovia Nurseries, this is part of their 'Seaside Serenade’ series. Two outstanding features in this collection are their bicolor flowers and bronzy new foliage - dark new foliage is something new in Hydrangea varieties. I first observed this phenomenon in 2016 when touring a private garden in New Zealand where a ‘Miss Saori’ was growing. Since then, there are several new introductions, including ‘Pink Dynamo’ and ‘Firefly’.
Everlasting Revolution — This comes from Dutch breeders and was developed originally for the floral industry. The blooms are huge with thick stems and it change colors throughout the season. You can see combinations of deep ink and maroon with green highlights to magenta and true blue, all at the same time. It is absolutely kaleidoscopic!
Blue Bird — This is an old school "serrata" or mountain hydrangea (they look about the same as the big leaf or “macrophylla” types but are hardier and sport superior fall color). All “serrata” varieties have lacecap flowers and often have bronzy new foliage.
Vanilla Strawberry — This is a sun-loving “Pee Gee” variety from the ‘First Editions’ series, another introduction from Bailey Nurseries. Huge “panicles” or cone-shaped flower heads start out pure white and eventually fade to pink. This variety, like many “Pee Gee” types, is often ground into “standards” or single trunk tree forms that work well in smaller yards as a small accent tree.
July is the perfect time to scope out the many options available to northwest gardeners. From new and improved selections that stay compact and repeat bloom to old timers that can grow into 8 to 10 feet specimens for those larger landscapes. Or even climbers that will self-adhere to a wood or masonry wall (probably best to keep them off your home’s siding), to a North American native like an Oakleaf Hydrangea that loves the sun, or a Smooth Hydrangea like ‘Incrediball’ with flowers the size of basketballs. There is a Hydrangea out there waiting to be adopted from the nursery and taken home to your garden, carpe diem and make it happen! The days are long and there is lots of time for planting.
