By Mary Lou Marchand
Beltrami County Master Gardener
We know we can grow hydrangeas here in zone 3 where the low temps can
reach -40. We see those big creamy white blooms of Hydrangea
arborescens ‘Annabelle’ as foundation plantings in many places.
It’s been around a long time and is a showy hydrangea that blooms on
new wood and should be trimmed back to about a foot or two of the
ground. I’ve got a couple of them in my yard and like them.
But I’ve been noticing some of the newer hydrangeas with blooms of
different colors or different shapes. The one that has made the
biggest splash is Endless Summer®, but there are other interesting
and new hydrangeas.
In the late 1990s, Endless Summer® came on the market with a unique
ability to bloom on both old and new wood. The color possibilities
were even more exciting for the northern gardener, pink blooms in
alkaline soils and blue blooms in acidic soil. Endless Summer® is
rated zone 4 but with the right microclimate, it blooms here in zone 3.
Unusual color can be found with the PeeGee Hydrangea paniculata
‘Grandiflora’. The PeeGee, a vigorous variety, has large conical-
shaped blooms in August and September. They open creamy white and
fade to a bronze-pink that hold their color well into fall. The shrub
can reach 8-10 feet in our climate. A compact form of this PeeGee,
‘Compacta’ grows to 6 feet tall and 6 feet wide. Prune both of
these in the spring.
Hydrangea paniculata ‘Pink Diamond’, again with cone-shaped
blooms, does well in full sun to light shade and likes plenty of
moisture. It blooms in July and August with large, 12 inch pink
flowers produced on new growth. ‘Pink Diamond’ likes moist well-
drained soil in full-sun and is an excellent specimen shrub.
If you’re looking for a very unique hydrangea, the award winning
‘Pinky Winky’ is the one for you. The 12 to 16 inch blooms become
two-toned as the older flowers turn dark pink. New flowers emerge
white. Strong stems hold the large blooms upright. ‘Pinky Winky’
grows 6-8 feet and blooms on new wood midsummer to frost. It is
another good as a specimen plant or fits in as part of a shrub border.
Hydrangea paniculata ‘Tardiva’, is an old-fashioned hydrangea but
what makes it different from other white flowering hydrangeas is the
size?—10-12 feet high and 10 feet wide, the blooms which turn
pinkish to almost purple as they age, and the blend of sterile (most
showy) and fertile flowers that give the blooms an airy appearance.
It is very late to bloom, however.
New from Holland is Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’ with
chartreuse blooms in late summer into fall that change to deep pink
in fall. The flower heads range from 6-12 inches and are held up by
sturdy stems. ‘Limelight’ grows 6-8 feet tall. This shrub prefers
to be pruned in the late fall or very early spring. Prune off spent
blossoms. It is tolerant of a large variety of soils and, once
established, will tolerate drought.
Any of these hydrangeas would make a wonderful addition to the
landscape. Hmmm, I wonder where I can put one . . . or more.
