Plant Facts
| Scientific name | Hydrangea macrophylla |
| Common names | Bigleaf hydrangea, French hydrangea, Hor ... |
| Genus | Hydrangea |
| Family | Hydrangeaceae |
| Height | 3 to 6 feet |
What does a mophead hydrangea look like?
By Sarah Morse Mophead hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla) grow 3 to 6 feet tall and 6 to 10 feet wide, producing pink, white or blue ball-shaped flowers in summer. Adapted to U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 9, depending on the cultivar, this plant thrives on little care.
Where do mophead hydrangeas grow best?
In cooler zones, they do well in full sun. But in regions with hotter summers, select a site with afternoon shade. If you are looking for tips on how to grow a mophead hydrangea, there are only a few important things to remember. Plant these shrubs in moist, well-draining soil with plenty of elbow room.
How do you care for a mophead hydrangea?
You’ll find mophead hydrangea care easiest if you plant them in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 9. In cooler zones they do well in full sun but, in regions with hotter summers, select a site with afternoon shade.
How big do mountain hydrangeas get?
Hydrangea Height & Width Hydrangea Type Height Width Mountain hydrangeas 48 inches 48 inches Bigleaf hydrangeas 120 inches 120 inches Climbing hydrangeas 600 inches 72 inches Smooth hydrangeas 60 inches 60 inches 2 more rows ...
Which hydrangea grows tallest?
Hydrangea paniculata varieties taller than 6 feet A large, vigorous panicle hydrangea that adds color to the landscape when few plants are in bloom. Flower clusters can reach 10" long, and open white, then mature to rose pink. Up to 12' tall and 10' wide.
How long does it take for hydrangeas to reach full height?
2-4 yearsThough they are fast growing shrubs, it can take 2-4 years for hydrangeas to reach their full size. Some are faster to mature than others.
What does a mop head hydrangea look like?
Mopheads (Hydrangea macrophylla) are the most popular hydrangeas grown in home gardens and landscapes. Most mopheads grown today are blue or pink but a few varieties are white. These are also commonly known as French hydrangeas. Lacecap Hydrangeas and Mophead Hydrangeas are both classified as Hydrangea macrophylla.
Where should I plant a mophead hydrangea?
You'll find mophead hydrangea care easiest if you plant them in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 9. In cooler zones they do well in full sun but, in regions with hotter summers, select a site with afternoon shade.
How big do hydrangeas grow the first year?
To ensure that hydrangea shrubs have time to establish a healthy root system, plant them in the fall or early spring. Hydrangeas are rapid growers, averaging two feet or more of growth per year. Be aware that the plant is toxic to humans1 and animals2.
What is the best time of year to plant hydrangeas?
Fall is the best season to plant hydrangeas, followed by early spring. The idea is to give the shrub plenty of time to establish a healthy root system before blooming. The best time of day to plant is early morning or late afternoon. The cooler parts of the day offer protection against heat stress.
Do I cut back mophead hydrangeas?
First, it's important to know that mophead hydrangeas do not have to be pruned back - ever - unless they are very old. Removing dead stems is the only pruning that must be done for the health of the plant, and these can be removed at any time. Dead blooms can also be removed at any time.
How do I get more blooms on my mophead hydrangea?
We recommend Fertilome Premium Bedding Plant Food to be applied lightly every month from March until August. That is six times in spring and summer with a high phosphorus fertilizer. 5- Mulch in Summer – This step helps to reduce stress. Mulch keeps the soil cooler and helps to retain moisture.
How long do mophead hydrangeas bloom?
between 3-6 monthsThe Mophead Hydrangeas or Hortensias produce large rounded flower heads, mostly packed with showy sterile florets. Since the flowers cannot be pollinated, they will bloom on and on through summer, between 3-6 months, until fall approaches and they change color.
What is the easiest hydrangea to grow?
Oakleaf varieties are the easiest type of hydrangeas for beginners to grow. Why are oakleaf hydrangeas so easy? They aren't picky! Oakleaf hydrangeas can tolerate colder weather, handle more sun, withstand drought, are more disease/pest resistant and grow in sandy soil better than other hydrangeas.
What is the difference between lacecap and mophead hydrangea?
Lacecap hydrangeas are almost identical to mophead hydrangeas with the only difference existing in their flowers. They have tiny fertile flower buds in the center, with showy flowers that circle the edge of the flower head.
Can mophead hydrangeas grow in shade?
These big leaf hydrangeas thrive in moist but well-drained soil, preferring morning sun. Avoid planting macrophylla hydrangea (mophead and lacecap types) in dry, with full sun exposed areas, or unprotected areas where extreme cold winds may damage young spring growth.
Are hydrangeas slow growing?
Be Patient with Your Hydrangeas Hydrangeas are plants that you need to be patient with. These plants take a long time to grow and establish themselves well in your garden after you have planted them. These plants are slow-growing, so you may not see much growth from them, especially in the first few years.
How tall do hydrangeas get?
Hydrangea size Also take into account the mature size of your hydrangeas. Some only grow to about 2 to 3 feet tall and wide, while others grow up to 6 feet tall with a 6 foot spread. Smaller hydrangea varieties are perfect for compact garden beds, patio pots and areas with limited space.
How long does it take for a hydrangea to bloom?
The bush may not be mature enough to bloom. Most woody plants do not bloom when they are very young. A newly planted bush may bloom the first year if it set flower buds while it was confined to a pot, and then not bloom again for a year or two as it settles into the soil in its new location.
How do I grow bigger hydrangeas?
To increase blooms, plant the hydrangea in an area of morning sun with shade in the afternoon, ensure the soil is consistently moist and apply a well-balanced fertilizer in Spring. Hydrangeas bloom on last year's growth, so avoid pruning your hydrangea too often, to encourage more flowers.
History
The mophead hydrangea was introduced to Europe in the mid-1800s from Japan. Once the flowers arrived in France, they became so popular that they became known as French hydrangeas. They are known as mopheads because of the shape of their flower heads.
How to Plant and Grow Mophead Hydrangea
Many mophead hydrangeas in gardens are old, large shrubs. Learning how to grow hydrangeas will reward you with a beautiful colorful garden.
Care and Maintenance
All different types of hydrangeas are easy to care for, but there are some tips to get the best from your mophead hydrangea shrub.
Uses of Mophead Hydrangeas
These plants produce beautiful, large blooms and epitomize summer with their colorful display. Much loved by florists, mophead hydrangea flowers make extravagant floral displays, both fresh and dried.
Common Varieties and Cultivars
Newer cultivars of the mophead hydrangea flower more reliably than traditional varieties. They also often have a tidier habit than their predecessors. Some start to flower earlier in the season, some will flower in shade, and some are bicolored with colorful leaves and stems too.
How big do mophead hydrangeas get?
Some can be as large as dinner plates. The leaves are bright green in color with a rounded shape which helps to give the shrub and overall rounded shape. The mophead hydrangeas can grow incredibly tall and incredibly wide.
What are mophead hydrangeas called?
The second is called lace caps and they have blooms that look like flat discs circled with larger, more showy flowers.
What is the most popular hydrangea?
There are many popular hydrangeas but one of the most popular is the mophead hydrangea. This is the one almost all gardeners and florists are acquainted with best and if you purchase flowers from a florist it is likely a mop head variety. In this post, we going to look into how to care for these beautiful plants.
What is a mop head?
The mop heads are one of the most popular garden shrubs because of the unique shape of their flowers. You might also know them as French hydrangeas, bigleaf hydrangeas, or pom pom hydrangeas. Growing them is quite simple. These deciduous hydrangeas come with large heads of blossoms.
Do hydrangeas need pruning?
In terms of pruning the hydrangeas do not require pruning. You can do it for aesthetic purposes especially if you want to get rid of dead branches and you can certainly deadhead the shrub to get rid of blooms once they have reached their peak however the plant will do just fine if you never come at it with a pair of shears. If you opt to prune the mop head hydrangea make sure that you do it right after it has finished flowering so that you don’t disturb any of the new growth.
Do hydrangeas have big leaves?
Referred to also as a big leaf hydrangea, not only are the flower blossoms large and boisterous but so too are the leaves which are big in their shape and size. Some can be as large as dinner plates.
Can you grow mophead hydrangeas in acidic soil?
If you are going to grow mophead hydrangeas, one of the most exciting secrets is that by caring for the soil composition you can change the color of the flowers. If you grow your mophead hydrangeas in acidic soil it will produce blue flowers. If you grow it in highly alkaline soil it will produce pink flowers.
What does a mophead hydrangea look like?
These shrubs bear blossom clusters that look like flat disks edged with larger, showy flowers. If you are growing mophead hydrangeas, you probably know about the shrub’s “magic secret.”. These are the hydrangeas that can change color. If you plant a mophead in acidic soil, it grows blue flowers.
What is a mophead?
Image by Brilt. Mopheads ( Hydrangea macrophylla) are the most popular type of garden shrubs, and the unique shape of their flowers has inspired many common names. You may know mopheads as pom-pom hydrangeas, bigleaf hydrangeas, French hydrangeas or even hortensia.
Why do mopheads bloom?
Gardeners love them because they are showy, easy care and bloom reliably every summer. Once you know that mopheads are also called bigleaf hydrangeas, it will be no surprise that the leaves are oversized, sometimes as large as a dinner plate. They are a fresh, bright green and give the shrubs a lush, rounded aspect.
Do mophead hydrangeas need a lot of work?
Growing mophead hydrangeas doesn’t require a lot of work or know-how. These shrubs thrive on minimum maintenance as long as they are planted in appropriate sites. You’ll find mophead hydrangea care easiest if you plant them in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 9.
Do mophead hydrangeas make good hedges?
They grow quite rapidly and can make excellent hedges if spaced appropriately. Mophead hydrangeas come in two types.
Do you need to prune a mophead hydrangea?
Once the summer heat passes, you can irrigate less frequently. Mophead hydrangea care does not necessarily require pruning. If you do decide to prune hydrangea, do so right after the shrub finishes flowering. Printer Friendly Version. This article was last updated on 07/22/20.
How to change the color of a mophead hydrangea?
To change the color of the mophead hydrangea flower, you must change the pH of the soil. Add aluminum sulfate if you want to lower the pH to get a blue flower and add lime to raise the pH for pinker flowers. Sarah Morse has been a writer since 2009, covering environmental topics, gardening and technology.
Can a hydrangea hose kill aphids?
Hydrangea is particularly susceptible to slugs and aphids, which you can get rid of with a blast of water from the hose. Mopheads may also contract powdery mildew and leaf spot, which are unattractive, but will not likely kill the plant. av-override. ‒‒:‒‒.
When do mophead hydrangeas bloom?
That means flower buds are formed in August to open in May or June the next year, and they form flower buds in April or May to open in July, August, or September.
How to make hydrangeas blue?
How to get “blue” hydrangeas – The blue color on changeable types (not all pink hydrangeas can turn blue) occurs only with acidic soils. Apply sulfur to acidify our limey soils. Aluminum has been proven to intensify the blue coloring, so we recommend Aluminum sulfate.
Why do you mulch hydrangeas in summer?
5- Mulch in Summer – This step helps to reduce stress. Mulch keeps the soil cooler and helps to retain moisture. Also, as mulch (and compost) decomposes, it helps feed soil microbes which are necessary for the release of nutrients to the hydrangea roots.
Do mopheads need light to bloom?
See #6 about correct watering. Also, mopheads don’t require a lot of light to bloom, but if conditions are too dark, they won’t set buds. 2- Soil Amendments at Time of Planting – If you’re going to take the time to plant something, do it right. That means amending our clay soils with compost.
How tall are hydrangeas?
The tallest types of hydrangeas are climbing hydrangeas ( Hydrangea anomala) that reach up to 50 ft. (15 m) tall if they have enough support. Dwarf hydrangeas varieties are typically 2 or 3 feet (0.6 – 1 m) tall. Hydrangeas usually have a similar spread to their height.
How tall is a climbing hydrangea?
Climbing hydrangeas are the tallest of the hydrangea species and a shade-loving plant. Although the massive flowering hydrangea vines can reach up to 80 ft. (24 m), you can prune the shrub to control its height. Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris has white flower clusters of tiny buds and showy flowers.
How tall does a dwarf hydrangea grow?
‘Dharuma’ hydrangea is a panicle hydrangea dwarf shrub with a slow growth that matures at 5 ft. (1.5 m) tall after ten years. The compact, bushy hydrangea’s outstanding feature is the pointed flowering clusters of pink or white petals and buds. As a small shrub, the hardy hydrangea is perfect for growing in pots or in small gardens where space is limited.
What is a Nikko Blue Hydrangea?
The Nikko Blue hydrangea is one of the most popular mophead hydrangea shrubs. The flowering bush has deep blue florets contrasting with large green, ovate leaves. The ‘Nikko Blue’ blooms profusely from early summer until the fall. Flowers are blue in acidic soils and develop pink hues in alkaline soils.
What is the name of the shrub with the most flowers?
Bigleaf hydrangeas are the most popular flowering shrub in gardens. The common hydrangea names—bigleaf and mophead—refer to the leaf size and flower shape. The showy hydrangea flowers are large, rounded flower clusters. The large, bold glossy, ovate leaves can be 4” to 6” (10 – 15 cm) across.
How big are Pee Gee hydrangea leaves?
Leaves measure 3” to 6” (7.5 – 15 cm) long and 3” (7.5 cm) wide.
What color are climbing hydrangea leaves?
The dull grayish-green summer foliage turns a spectacular red or orange in the fall. Climbing hydrangea leaves are aromatic leaves that are a rounded to ovate shape with toothed edges. From the different hydrangeas varieties, climbing hydrangea leaves are the smallest, measuring between 2” and 4” (5 – 10 cm) long.
What is the color of hydrangeas?
Endless Summer® hydrangeas are cold-hardy, reblooming hydrangeas with stunning blooms in colors such as pink, blue, purple, red, and white.
How cold can hydrangeas get in the winter?
Unlike other hydrangea varieties, Endless Summer® hydrangeas have excellent winter hardiness and can withstand winter temperatures as low as -30 degrees Fahrenheit (or -34.4 degrees Celsius) at the coldest. This means that flowering is quite reliable regardless of winter temperatures.
Can hydrangeas survive in acidic soil?
While these flowering shrubs can survive in a wide range of pH’s, they tend to thrive in soil that is slightly acidic . Keep in mind that the soil pH will determine the colour of the blooms. For example, the Original Endless Summer® hydrangea has blue flowers in acidic soil and pink blooms in alkaline soil.
Can hydrangeas be kept in a garage?
Endless Summer® hydrangeas make gorgeous container plants and can be easily overwintered in a sheltered garage or shed, or brought indoors for the freezing winter months. Ensure that the potting container has adequate drainage and adjust the watering schedule accordingly.
Do hydrangeas need water?
Water. Endless Summer® hydrangeas have medium to high water needs. Throughout the growing season, the soil should be kept evenly moist but not waterlogged. Ensuring the plant has proper drainage is imperative in preventing root rot.
History
How to Plant and Grow Mophead Hydrangea
- Many mophead hydrangeas in gardens are old, large shrubs. Learning how to grow hydrangeaswill reward you with a beautiful colorful garden. Make sure that you plant your mophead where it will have sufficient space to spread. Plant breeders have created smaller hybrids that retain the showy blooms. Cultivars such as these make excellent pot plants.
Care and Maintenance
- All different types of hydrangeasare easy to care for, but there are some tips to get the best from your mophead hydrangea shrub.
Uses of Mophead Hydrangeas
- These plants produce beautiful, large blooms and epitomize summer with their colorful display. Much loved by florists, mophead hydrangea flowers make extravagant floral displays, both fresh and dried.
Common Varieties and Cultivars
- Newer cultivars of the mophead hydrangea flower more reliably than traditional varieties. They also often have a tidier habit than their predecessors. Some start to flower earlier in the season, some will flower in shade, and some are bicolored with colorful leaves and stems too. A few of the more attractive and useful mophead hydrangeas to consider are listed below. 1. Hydrangea …