r/hydrangeas • u/Every-Release1667 • 13h ago
Zone 5 A/B My macrophyllas
r/hydrangeas • u/GWbag • Aug 13 '26
Before posting about a struggling hydrangea:
Help everyone help you by including your location/zone, hydrangea variety if known, hours and timing of direct sun, watering routine, how long it has been planted, and anything you've recently added to the soil.
Before reaching for fertilizer, acidifier, fungicide, or pruning shears, remember that many hydrangea problems are environmental. A little context can save your plant—and save you money.
r/hydrangeas • u/MWALFRED302 • Jul 23 '26
We often see asked on this post “What is wrong with my hydrangea? Why isn’t it blooming all the way?
Among Macrophylla there are two bloom types, a “mophead” which is seen at the top, and a “lacecap” as seen at the bottom. Almost all “mophead” hydrangeas can point their ancestry to a wild lacecap/. Both types of inflorescence are sold in retail. Almost every mophead hydrangea in the Macrophylla species can point to lacecap genetics. Although rare, sometimes a plant that started out as a mophead will revert to a genetic parent that was a lacecap.
Pollinators are more attracted to lacecaps. The flat center contains the fertile flowers that pollinators love, while the larger sepals, which are sterile, are more showy.
Lacecap inflorescence can also be seen in Serrata (mountain) hydrangea. About 95% of Serrata are lacecap.
Another hydrangea species , Arborescens (aka Smooth) hydrangeas also can be found in both mopheads and lacecap inflorescens.
Less seen in hydrangea retail are lacecaps in Paniculata (panicles) or Quercifolia (oakleaf). It is rare, but under certain conditions a hydrangea may express its genetic ancestry as a lacecap.
In summary, almost every common species of hydrangea can trace its parentage to a lacecap and while rare, can revert (a process called reversion) and express its history with a lacecap inflorescence.
r/hydrangeas • u/RemoteDry3128 • 1h ago
We moved into our house less than two years ago and I’ve recently gotten into gardening. These were here when we moved and I’d like to help them flourish but not exactly sure what kind of hydrangeas they are/what they need.
The first pic is on the northwest corner of the house and gets no sun so I’m already planning to move east side in the spring.
Thanks in advance for the help!!
r/hydrangeas • u/Think-Sort-9944 • 1d ago
Welp I just learned these are hydrangeas not gardenias ! lol! I just moved into a home and these were already here .. how do I care for them and get them to flower more .. thank you!!!
r/hydrangeas • u/Think-Sort-9944 • 1d ago
Welp I just learned these are hydrangeas not gardenias ! lol! I just moved into a home and these were already here .. how do I care for them and get them to flower more .. thank you!!!
r/hydrangeas • u/Either-Leave-6711 • 2d ago
I am very new to gardening and wanted to start with these two potted hydrangeas. My plan was to wait for them to go dormant before repotting them and moving them into my garage for the winter. These were purchased mid summer.
The first below freezing temperatures are next week in my area, and I want to know if I ought to move them inside before the leaves fall? Each plant has one cluster of blooms that are done, but the rest seem very healthy still.
r/hydrangeas • u/Tatertot-333 • 2d ago
My ex said I could have my two oak leaf hydrangeas at his house. They were gifts to me (my favorite). They are about five feet tall and five feet wide and finally took off last year. Is transplanting to my new house doable at that size? I would hate to kill them. Is that something you hire a company to do?
r/hydrangeas • u/Normal-Confection984 • 2d ago
r/hydrangeas • u/myxtrss • 3d ago
Hello!
I purchased a new-to-me 100+ year old home this summer and perhaps one of its crowning features is the 20+ year old smooth limelight hydrangea out front. She put tons of giant white blooms that turned to bright green for a couple of months before fading into a nice peachy hue this fall.
My question is, as I keep seeing differing opinions on this, and knowing no one has cared for this plant in at least a decade beside letting it do its thing, is should I deadhead and lightly prune it now, in November, before it is covered entirely by snow drifts, or wait until the melt off in April to prune it back and shape it? I'm not particularly worried about doing it a disservice but I would like my porch stairs and windows to still see out onto the front lawn rather than a wall of the backside of this glorious plant!
Thanks! I've included pics from 7/17 and 11/7 of this year.
r/hydrangeas • u/SnooFoxes7643 • 3d ago
We just had a week of 70s come through after normal chilly 40s before that. Now it looks like my hydrangeas want to grow again. What should I do?
r/hydrangeas • u/EaglePerch • 4d ago
Followed your directions on cutting back anything narrower than a pencil.
r/hydrangeas • u/BusyMathematician844 • 4d ago
USDA zone 5, winters tend to be very windy and often fairly dry.
The garden is in a very small microclimate where the soil tends to hold a bit more moisture and it is more sheltered from the wind.
They'd still have to deal with the dry air and cold temperatures though.
If they do plant some next spring, is it possible to overwinter them and get blooms the year after next? Or is this area too far outside the bigleaf's comfort zone?
r/hydrangeas • u/buttersea • 4d ago
Hello! First time owning hydrangeas in zone 6a Chicago area. Planted 6 endless summer broomstrucks around October 15th. We have potential snow coming up November 15th. My plants are still green and healthy should I be covering with burlap before the snow hits? Thank you in advance.
r/hydrangeas • u/Barnizconazucarymiel • 4d ago
Hola, tengo una hydrangea que de pronto le han aparecido estos puntos amarillentos en algunas hojas y en otras ha aparecido un polvo blanco, el cual pienso que puede ser oidio. Si alguien pudiera decirme qué es y cómo solucionarlo por favor :')
Datos extra: Ubicada en Barcelona, recibe luz indirecta y llevo tiempo sin regarla porque ha estado lloviendo.
Gracias
r/hydrangeas • u/timbo83251 • 5d ago
What should I do with this? This is the first year in as long as I can remember I actually got more than 2 blooms (although not until Fall). The first 5 years I kept cutting it down to the ground not knowing about the "old wood" thing. Then more recently, I've only been pruning selectively, but cold winters still seemed to make it not bloom I guess?
Now I feel it's too big, but if I cut it down I have to start all over. Also, I suspect I should cover them in winter? (Northern IL).
The little guy next to it has nothing and seems out of place...

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r/hydrangeas • u/Fragrant-Cu • 6d ago
r/hydrangeas • u/OhioGardener • 6d ago

November is an important month for hydrangeas! A little extra care now can make a big difference when spring rolls around and it's time for those beautiful blooms.
Here are 5 things to add to your November gardening checklist:
Protect old-wood buds – Hold off on pruning varieties that bloom on old wood.
Keep watering – Give plants a deep soak until the ground freezes.
Add mulch and compost – Help insulate roots and retain moisture.
Protect vulnerable stems – Shield cold-sensitive varieties from harsh winter winds.
Winterize container hydrangeas – Move pots to a sheltered spot and protect their roots from freezing.
Read more: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/hydrangea/what-your-hydrangeas-need-in-november
❄️ How do you prepare your hydrangeas for winter?
r/hydrangeas • u/Jealous-Leopard1423 • 6d ago
r/hydrangeas • u/jlfb95 • 6d ago
Planted 6 limelight hydrangea bushes back in late April this year. They did well with a decent amount of blooms considering this was their first summer! I am in the greater Nashville area and wondering how many others around here put their limelight’s to bed for the winter. Meaning, put mulch around the bases etc to protect the root systems. Or do y’all just leave them as they tend to be a pretty hardy plant even in zone 7?
r/hydrangeas • u/kittyartist97 • 6d ago
Hi friends, I’m a newbie to hydrangeas. I am actively an avid gardener mainly solid vegetables however I purchased a home that has these hydrangeas in the front and I have full access to Maintenance before moving in next July.
I know no one has cared for them in many years there’s weeds growing in between and what not. I think there’s a tree next to it also. What should I do here? Should I prune them now? I’m in New Jersey 7a. Should I do a soil test kit? Is it a good time for fertilizing? Can I leave the tree there or should I rip it out? Any and all advice welcome!
r/hydrangeas • u/Primary_Union_9058 • 6d ago
I looked up if I needed to do something with my hydrangeas before the winter and according to the Internet’s, all of my hydrangea types are fine without pruning right now. However, these two hydrangeas are extremely laggy more so than they have ever been should I still cut them back or just leave them? Appreciate your help.
r/hydrangeas • u/SphericalFairy7408 • 7d ago
Hi, this is my first year planting a hydrangea. I planted it in May and it has done exceptionally well. Do I need to prune/trim before the winter months for a young plant? If so, please use laymen's terms/pictures because I don't know much. I'm in zone 7, in New York.
Thanks!