Find out which hydrangeas do need full Lord’s Day and which favour shade to fly high so you may give your shrub the best Light Within .
Big , bold flowers and foliage give hydrangea an resistless appeal that seems to be growing every twelvemonth . Traditionally consign to shady corner , today ’s all-embracing market selection has many gardener asking , " Do hydrangea take full sun ? "
Several newly pop metal money and varieties are marketed as ready for partial tofull sun . But how much sun can hydrangeas in reality tolerate , and which varieties are best for your garden ? Here ’s what you want to know to give differenttypes of hydrangeasthe proper amount of sun , harmonize to experts from top hydrangea breeding companies .
Credit:pcturner71 / Getty Images
pcturner71 / Getty Images
How much sun do hydrangeas need?
The most well - know hydrangea are the iconic bigleaf types ( Hydrangea macrophylla ) , such as the classic ‘ Nikko Blue ' with heavy , circular , mophead flowers , that have typically been consideredshrubs for shade . But there are over 50 species of hydrangea worldwide offering huge variety in flower , form , and Sunday tolerance .
“ Most hydrangea like part sun ( 4 - 6 hours of verbatim sun ) or dappled shade , ” says Natalie Carmolli with Proven Winners ColorChoice Shrubs . She points to mass ( H. serrata ) , unruffled ( H. arborescens ) , panicle(H. paniculata ) , and bigleaf hydrangea as model .
“ Smooth hydrangea can handle full sun in cooler climate , ” notes Ryan McEnaney from Bailey Nurseries . “ As you move into fond climate , smooth hydrangeas require at least afternoon shade , if not to the full mottled ghost . ” pop smooth hydrangea kind include the ‘ Incrediball ’ ( an improved version of ‘ Annabelle ’ ) and the Invicibelle serial .
Credit: Kritsada Panichgul
Hydrangeas with Improved Sun Tolerance
There are bigleaf hydrangeas that can take some more sunlight now , too . flora breeders have been work on " increase bloom power in challenging surroundings ( both sun and specter ) , " says McEnaney . “ The Modern Eclipse is a fantastic example of a bigleaf hydrangea that can tolerate a bit more sunlight with its dark foliage that absorbs Lord’s Day better than short green leaves , ” he adds . Other example admit ‘ BloomStruck ’ ( prove above ) and‘Pop Star ’ reblooming hydrangeavarieties , which have thicker leaves that help them absorb the sun ’s rays well , say McEnaney .
“ My general rule of thumb when it comes to bigleaf hydrangeas and sun is , the ace with more concentrated blooming colors get along better , ” Carmolli read , advocate ' Lets Dance Big Band ' and ' allow ’s Dance ¡ Arriba ! '
These still come with a caveat , however . “ While these few miscellanea are more sun tolerant , still be careful not to plant in full sun unless you ’re in aZone 4 or Zone 5 environment , ” McEnaney says . “ Dappled good afternoon spectre is still opt for this species . ”
Credit: Courtesy of First Editions Shrubs & Trees
Best Hydrangeas for Full Sun
There ’s a clear winner , our experts say , when needing a hydrangea for full Dominicus conditions .
" Panicle hydrangeas are the most Dominicus - patient of hydrangea , ” Carmolli enunciate . “ In fact , they like6 or more hours of Sunday per dayfor optimum carrying out . My fresh favorite is ‘ Puffer Pisces ’ panicle hydrangea , ” she say . It has “ a fun fiddling spurt of flowers that come out from the tip of the panicle once the flush is full formed . ” The flowers on ' Puffer Pisces ' emerge light green , mature to pure white , and modulation to lime unripened instead of pink like most panicles .
McEnaney indicate ‘ Little Hottie ’ panicle hydrangea for a small distance andBerry White panicle hydrangea(shown above ) for large spaces . ‘ Little Hottie ’ has whitened flowers that stay bright throughout summertime and was breed in Athens , Georgia specifically to thrive in strong - mood weather . ' Berry White ' makes agreat flowering hedge , he says , with whitened summertime flowers develop to a deep merlot red in fall , especially in cool climate .
Match Your Hydrangea to Your Garden
Understand your light exposure , land type , and access to water before picking a novel hydrangea and choose one that mature at the right size of it for your space , says McEnaney . It ’s always best to match new plant to your current garden condition rather than try on to alter conditions afterwards by amending soil or pruning .
Frequently Asked Questions
Droopy flowers or leaf on a well - watered hydrangea in hot good afternoon sun bump when the plant ca n’t take up water as fast as it ’s losing it in the sun . sunburn flowers and foliage also point too much unmediated sun .
Ahydrangea in too little sun wo n’t blossom welland the theme may rise leggy with sparse leaves as they dilute toward ignitor .
