Is it possible to get sick of hydrangeas? Apparently not. If, like me, you can withstand a 4-day garden tour in the Pacific Northwest followed – two weeks later – by a six-day get-away in Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard, in which every private garden and every piece of public landscaping was dominated by billows of this shrub, you’re immune. You may even be addicted.
There was nearly universal agreement among those who attended the 2024 garden bloggers’ Fling in Tacoma, WA, that the hydrangea was among the two or three top plants of the trip. One private garden we visited is so famous for its hydrangeas – particularly its majestically tall H. serrata hybrids (one above) – that mail-order nurseries would come there for cuttings to propagate. (Something like that – I was just eavesdropping as I am hesitant to get into long, technical plant discussions.)
Actually, I had a bit of hydrangea envy. In Western New York, we still see far too many of the older Endless Summer hybrids, which tend to be some kind of mushy color between pink and blue. They’re never a clear purple or lavender – just that uneasy blend. Begone with them.
None of these were in evidence in the PNW, the Cape or MV. (Though by August on the Cape, there was some fading.) There were gorgeous new macrophylla hybrids in impossibly clear and vivid shades of red, blue and purple, serrata hybrids that I had never seen before, and, everywhere, paniculata Limelight, because why not.
There were few labels and usually only other Fling visitors to ask, who mostly said “I dunno.” I didn’t really care that much, as I will likely not be purchasing these or anything like them for my garden, which already features almost every basic variety of the shrub: aborescens, quercifolia, macrophylla, paniculata, petiolaris (climbing) and even one serrata, the co-called “mountain” hydrangea. My serrata is not nearly as cool as what I saw in the PNW.
I am a little concerned. How far will new hybrids try to go? We’ve already seen some overreaching with echinacea in terms of garish colors. Will there be bright yellow or bright orange hydrangeas? Black? I have seen some unbelievable – and rightly so – seed offers on eBay and Etsy.
The main thing is that hybrids should be able to stay the color they’re sold as. My ‘Alpenglow,” which goes by other names, has always been a deep rose, without any additives needed. Same with another old-fashioned pink macrophylla I had and pulled out for other reasons. Otherwise, I have been delighting in the quercifolia (oakleaf) which get gracefully tall with huge conical flowers, maturing to dusty pink. And ‘Limelight,’ at its best right now.
What I’ve learned is to cut the arborescens back fairly hard in early spring and pretty much leave the others alone. I have one of the new Invincibelle types and like it so far.
Another hydrangea benefit is that if I do decide to pull up one of my shrubs and replace it with something I saw and managed to identify on one of my my trips, it won’t take long for it to fill its space.
Finally, though this is bad for other reasons, winters aren’t nearly the threat they used to be. that’s been a mixed blessing for gardeners – and the planet.
I still go weak in the knees for a good old-fashioned Pee Gee Hydrangea (the kind pruned into trees, often seen in cemeteries.) But I am so over ones like Endless Summer, which I ripped out of my garden years ago b/c it was getting maybe 2 blooms a season, hidden by foliage anyway. This year in my state of CT, they are absolutely gorgeous and full of blooms. I do like the Oakleaf Hydrangeas also.
Those you showed are eyepopping, almost enticing me to try again in a container or two next year. I’ve grown H. paniculata, and quercifolia, and arborescens, but the rest of the pack always let me down, or I let them down. Best to enjoy them on a lovely trip, as you did.
Beautiful post.
No such thing as too many hydrangeas. I have to admit I’ve been trying to stay with smaller plants. 3 to 4 foot sized. More room and easier to add just 1 more variety.
I was initially attracted to them decades ago for their brilliant blue color.
It still seems strange to intentionally look for more pinks in the garden.
A clean lavender color sounds wonderful. Any suggestions?
As an 11-year washashore resident of Cape Cod, my vote is that one can definitely get sick of hydrangeas. For starters, around here it’s a completely uncreative choice. There are hundreds of other possibilities, but all our neighbors just throw in (usually blue) hydrangeas, all in a row, across the back of a flat green carpet. Yes, there are some gorgeous hydrangeas out there, but there are also so many other (more appropriate) plants for our location.
My biggest problem with them is that they’re they’re water and nutrient hogs, resulting in excessive irrigation and fertilizer, especially in our sandy Cape soil and coastal weather. If you can get them that big and beautiful in your region without watering every other day through the summer, more power to you. But here in hydrangea hell, they droop the moment it tops 80 or we have 4 days without rain, and everyone turns on the irrigation.
Yes, it actually makes me a little bit angry. Our salt ponds are green and unhealthy, our municipal water sources are dwindling and contaminated. Yet people keep planting inappropriate things in their yards and installing new irrigation to maintain it, as though they can’t see the fertilizer-polluted pond one block away.
But y’all are welcome to come visit, go to the beach, and buy a painting of hydrangeas. Those are everywhere too.
Hydrangeas are unusual here in Austin, except for the occasional oakleaf, and so I was crazy about all the beautiful ones we saw at the Fling. Count me in as an admirer.
Those are extremely striking, and they nearly made me want to give it another go in a couple of containers next year. Despite my success with H. paniculata, quercifolia, and arborescens, the remainder of the pack never lived up to my expectations, and vice versa. You should have enjoyed them on your beautiful vacation.