Hydrangea paniculata/Tardiva Hydrangea

According to some sources, this is THE most culturally adaptable of all the hydrangeas - the very definition of sustainability! It tolerates anything but wet conditions, which is no problem where I live. 

But this plant is a do-er that performs aesthetically, too - with its long panicle-shaped white blooms.  So it's low-maintenance and high-impact, too.  It can also be trained as a standard (tree-form) or allowed to grow naturally.

Native to Japan and China.

Details

• Flowers in July and August; blooms look great for many weeks, or hold up well after being cut..
• Like full or part-sun.
• Grow to 15-25' tall by 10' wide.
• Hardy to Zone 4.

Care

• Quite drought-tolerant, especially compared to the big-leaf hydrangeas (H. macrophylla).

• Very little or no pruning is required.  If desired, in later winter or early spring the old and errant branches can be cut back to where they begin, or the whole plant shaped or reduced in size.  

• If you're interested in getting the largest possible blooms, cut the whole plant back to the ground in late winter before new growth begins.   To prevent flopping try cutting them back not completely to the ground but instead, to 18 to 24 from the ground.

• This hydrangea and oakleaf hydrangeas are extremely low-maintenance.

More Great Info in Print

• Hydrangeas for American Gardensby Michael Dirr
• Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs by the best-known authority on the subject.
• Taylor's Guide to Shrubs is another good one.

 

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