Hydrangeas are popular deciduous shrubs that are known for their large, clustered flowers and easygoing nature. But if you think you know hydrangeas, think again because there’s a lot of variety in this humble plant family!
Native to North America and Asia, hydrangeas come in many shapes and sizes, including tall and dwarf shrubs and climbing vines! Some hydrangeas have large, globular flowers, while other hydrangeas have more open, lacy blooms that give the plant an airy effect. What’s more, many hydrangea flowers change color depending on the season or the soil pH.
In this guide, we’ll introduce you to the 6 cultivated types of hydrangeas, and we’ll give stunning examples of each hydrangea variety as well. You’ll find that some hydrangeas are more cold hardy than others, and certain hydrangeas may have key features that will work particularly well in your growing space. Read on and find the perfect hydrangea shrubs for your garden beds and porch planters right here!
Jump to:
- Most popular hydrangea varieties to grow in home gardens
- 1. Panicle hydrangeas (Hydrangea paniculata)
- 2. Bigleaf hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla)
- 3. Oakleaf hydrangeas (Hydrangea quercifolia)
- 4. Mountain hydrangeas (Hydrangea serrata)
- 5. Smooth hydrangeas (Hydrangea arborescens)
- 6. Climbing hydrangeas (Hydrangea petiolaris)
- Frequently asked questions
- Summary
Most popular hydrangea varieties to grow in home gardens
When selecting hydrangeas for your garden, first consider your growing zone and the particular growing conditions in your garden. Does your garden receive a lot of sun or shade? Is your garden soil soggy or dry?
Picking a hydrangea type that is known to grow well in your specific growing region is a good place to start. But you’ll also want to consider your gardening goals and the look and feel of particular hydrangea cultivars. Some hydrangeas are more attractive to pollinators than others, while certain types of hydrangeas are perfect for flower arranging thanks to their bold flower colors and sturdy stems.
Keeping your gardening goals and growing region in mind will help you determine which of these stunning hydrangea cultivars will work best in your landscape!
1. Panicle hydrangeas (Hydrangea paniculata)
| Hydrangea type: | Panicle hydrangea |
| Light requirements: | Full sun, may benefit from light afternoon shade in hot areas |
| Water requirements: | High to moderate |
| Growing zone: | Zones 3 to 9 |
| When to prune: | Late winter to early spring |
The most cold hardy of all hydrangea varieties, panicle hydrangeas are made of tough stuff, and they overwinter beautifully in areas as chilly as Zone 3. One of the reasons why panicle hydrangeas are so resilient in cold weather is because these hydrangeas bloom on new wood. That means these hydrangeas will bloom best if they’re pruned in late winter to early spring, and they will still flower even if some of their stems are damaged during the winter months!
Most panicle hydrangeas are massive plants that generally grow between 8 to 15’ tall, although some panicle hydrangeas can stretch over 25’ in height! For container growing, there are also a few dwarf panicle hydrangea cultivars, which max out at around 2 to 3’ tall. Beyond their cold resilience, panicle hydrangeas are known for their large, conical flowerheads and toothed leaves, which are typically smaller and thinner than the leaves of other types of hydrangeas.
While there are many different panicle hydrangeas to choose from, some of our favorite cultivars include:
· ‘Little Quick Fire®’
A fine choice for container growing, ‘Little Quick Fire’ is a dwarf panicle hydrangea that grows to about 3 to 5’ tall. Blooming early in the season, ‘Little Quick Fire’s’ blooms start out in a creamy white color, but they mature into a rich, pinkish-purple hue.
· ‘Limelight’
A classic choice for cottage gardens and other ornamental beds, ‘Limelight’ is one of the most popular panicle hydrangeas for a good reason. This cold hardy plant grows well in zones 3 and up, and it produces massive, color-changing flowers that turn from a lime green to deep shades of pink and burgundy as they age.
· ‘Vanilla Strawberry™’
‘Vanilla Strawberry’ is a showstopper of a plant with big, beautiful flowers that turn into a deep pink tone when fully mature. Growing to about 6 to 7’ tall, ‘Vanilla Strawberry’ hydrangeas are sure to enliven your garden when they bloom from July to September.
2. Bigleaf hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla)
| Hydrangea type: | Bigleaf hydrangea |
| Light requirements: | Full sun, may benefit from light afternoon shade in hot areas |
| Water requirements: | High to moderate |
| Growing zone: | Zones 5 to 9, some varieties may overwinter in zones 4 with winter protection |
| When to prune: | New cultivars may not need pruning; older cultivars that bloom on old wood should be pruned immediately after flowering |
Bigleaf hydrangeas are the most commonly grown hydrangeas in the United States, and they’re famed for their oversized leaves and color-changing flowers. Not all flowers on hydrangeas change color with soil pH, but the blooms on many bigleaf hydrangeas do! These hydrangeas produce blue flowers in acidic conditions, but their flowers turn pink or purple when soils are more alkaline.
While you can allow bigleaf hydrangeas to grow as they please, you can add lime, sulfur, or another pH adjustment product to alter the shade of your bigleaf hydrangea blooms. These plants generally don’t need much pruning beyond a minor tidying up; however, many older bigleaf hydrangea cultivars only bloom on old wood, which means they should be pruned immediately after flowering in summer.
Most bigleaf hydrangeas grow to about 5 to 6’ in height, making them the perfect size to be used as backdrop plants or for small hedge rows. But you can find some smaller dwarf cultivars that are ideal for container growing. Sometimes called French hydrangeas or hortensias, bigleaf hydrangeas aren’t quite as cold hardy as panicle hydrangeas, but some cultivars can survive in USDA growing zones 4 and 5 with extra winter protection.
Some striking options for bigleaf hydrangeas include:
· Mophead
Possibly the most popular hydrangea of all, mopheads are a variety of bigleaf hydrangea, and they are famed for their large, domed flowers. Some good examples of mophead hydrangeas include ‘Endless Summer®’ and ‘Let’s Dance®.’
· Lacecap
Lacecap hydrangeas look very similar to mopheads, but these hydrangeas have flatter blooms, which are more delicate looking but also more appealing to pollinators. Examples of lacecap bigleaf hydrangeas include ‘Mont Aso’ and ‘Zorro.’
3. Oakleaf hydrangeas (Hydrangea quercifolia)
| Hydrangea type: | Oakleaf hydrangea |
| Light requirements: | Full sun to part shade |
| Water requirements: | Moderate |
| Growing zone: | Zones 5 to 9 |
| When to prune: | Prune immediately after flowering |
Aptly named oakleaf hydrangeas feature large, palmate leaves, which closely resemble the leaves of oak trees. But unlike true oak leaves, the foliage on oakleaf hydrangeas can get massive, and leaves can stretch over 10” long! Not to mention, oakleaf hydrangeas are the best hydrangeas to grow for autumn color as their leaves change into brilliant shades of red, orange, and purple when the temperatures start to drop.
But although oakleaf hydrangeas are often cultivated for their interesting foliage, these plants also produce showy flowers, which can bloom from late spring through fall. While the flowers on these plants don’t change color according to soil pH, oakleaf hydrangea blooms do shift in tone from a creamy white to shades of pink as the seasons progress. Rich in color and always a joy to behold, oakleaf hydrangeas are more cold hardy than bigleaf hydrangeas, but they aren’t quite as tough as panicle hydrangeas.
Most oakleaf hydrangea shrubs grow between 6 and 8’ tall, but you can find dwarf varieties that stay more compact for smaller space gardens. Unlike panicle hydrangeas, oakleaf hydrangeas only bloom on old wood, so they should be pruned immediately after the plant’s flowers fade. Pruning oakleaf hydrangeas late in the season can remove flower buds and prevent the plant from blooming the following year!
Some prime examples of oakleaf hydrangea cultivars include:
· ‘Snowflake’
A fabulous plant to grow for autumn color, ‘Snowflake’ hydrangea leaves burn brilliant shades of burgundy and crimson late in the season, and the plant’s flowers turn a rosy pink too! Plus, this hydrangea cultivar has massive, conical blooms which can stretch over 12” long!
· ‘Ruby Slippers’
A mini hydrangea cultivar, ‘Ruby Slippers’ only grows between 3 and 4’ tall when mature, but these plants are still attention-getters in gardens and porch planters! ‘Ruby Slippers’ hydrangeas produce upright clusters of flowers that turn a ruby red when mature, and the plant’s autumn foliage deepens into shades of crimson and mahogany.
· ‘Little Honey’
Another dwarf hydrangea option, ‘Little Honey’, is mostly kept for its colorful leaves, which are yellow when they first emerge in spring and drift into deeper shades of chartreuse as the months pass by. Growing between 3 and 4’ tall, ‘Little Honey’ fits perfectly in small containers, and it also blooms an abundance of creamy white flowers!
4. Mountain hydrangeas (Hydrangea serrata)
| Hydrangea type: | Mountain hydrangea |
| Light requirements: | Full sun to part shade |
| Water requirements: | High to moderate |
| Growing zone: | Zones 6 to 9 |
| When to prune: | May not need pruning; if pruning is needed, be conservative and only snip away the old, dead wood |
Mountain hydrangeas are often confused with bigleaf hydrangeas; however, mountain hydrangeas have slightly smaller leaves, which makes the plant more resistant to wilting in dry weather. Overall, mountain hydrangeas are smaller shrubs, and they tend to have lacecap flowers, rather than mophead blooms, but they are just as certain to draw the eye. These plants generally produce pink or blue flowers, and flowers can appear on both new and old wood, so you may not need to prune these hydrangeas at all!
Beyond being attractive plants, mountain hydrangea blooms are always a hit with pollinators, and they can draw bees and butterflies to your garden beds. Often, gardeners grow these deciduous shrubs as foundation or specimen plants, but they make an even bigger impact when they’re planted en masse or grown as low-privacy hedges. Fast-growing and hardy, mountain hydrangeas are particularly well suited for gardens that receive light shade in the afternoon.
While there are a lot of things to recommend mountain hydrangeas, these plants aren’t quite as cold hardy as some other hydrangea cultivars, and they can only overwinter in growing zones 6 through 9. Mountain hydrangeas are also less tolerant of soggy soils than some other hydrangea types, and they typically grow between 2 and 4’ tall. Interestingly, mountain hydrangeas hail from mountainous areas in Japan and Korea, which is how this hydrangea got its name!
If you love the look of mountain hydrangeas, you may want to try out these popular varieties:
· ‘Blue Billow’
A profuse bloomer, ‘Blue Billow’ yields long-lasting flowers, which start off in a brilliant blue coloring but fade into a deeper shade of crimson. Growing to about 4’ tall, ‘Blue Billow’ is an exceptional choice for autumn color as this hydrangea’s leaves turn a bright burgundy late in the season!
· ‘Tuff Stuff’
A solid choice if you’ve ever struggled to keep bigleaf hydrangeas, ‘Tuff Stuff’ is a reliable bloomer that produces pink or purple flowers depending on your soil’s pH. More cold hardy than many other hydrangeas, ‘Tuff Stuff’ plants are built to last since they were produced from wild mountain hydrangeas that were naturally resistant to chilly mountain climes!
· ‘Bluebird’
Arguably the most popular mountain hydrangea around, ‘Bluebird’ is mostly grown for its frilly, blue, lacecap flowers, which first appear in early summer. However, this plant also develops deep red leaves in autumn, and its tidy nature and compact size make it an excellent choice for container growing as well!
5. Smooth hydrangeas (Hydrangea arborescens)
| Hydrangea type: | Smooth hydrangea |
| Light requirements: | Part shade; can be growing in full sun with more frequent watering |
| Water requirements: | High |
| Growing zone: | Zones 3 to 8 |
| When to prune: | Early spring, before flower buds appear |
Like panicle hydrangeas, smooth hydrangeas bloom on new growth, which makes these plants incredibly cold hardy. Perennial in growing zones 3 and up, smooth hydrangeas should be pruned in late winter to early spring to rejuvenate their growth and remove dead, woody stems. In fact, you can actually prune these hydrangeas to about 6 to 8” above the soil line, and they’ll grow back stronger than ever!
Native to the United States, smooth hydrangeas are tough plants that work well in pollinator gardens and native plant gardens too. While these plants are hosts for sphinx moths, their pink to white flowers are also highly attractive to bees and other beneficial insects. Also known as wild hydrangeas, smooth hydrangeas look stunning on their own, but they also make solid privacy hedges and accent plants as well.
When mature, smooth hydrangeas generally grow between 3 and 5’ tall, but you can find tiny versions that stay under 2’ in height. Blooming from June to September, these plants are relatively easy to keep, but they do have higher watering needs than some other hydrangea species, and they need to be grown in soil that’s consistently moist but never soggy.
If you want to try smooth hydrangeas in your garden, these varieties are some of the best you can find:
· ‘Annabelle’
One of the most popular smooth hydrangeas, ‘Annabelle’ is famed for its massive, globular flowers that are a bright white color and reliably bloom throughout the summer. But this hydrangea is also highly adaptable, and it can grow in a range of soil types and in full sun to part shade.
· ‘Invincibelle Mini Mauvette®’
‘Invincibelle’ may only grow to about 3’ in height, but what this shrub lacks in stature, it more than makes up for in color! A variety of reblooming hydrangea, ‘Invincibelle’ is primarily kept for its flashy, rosy-pink blooms, but it’s also cold hardy enough to thrive in zone 4!
· ‘Incrediball Blush®’
A variant of ‘Annabelle,’ ‘Incrediball Blush’ has an unusual, silvery-pink flower color, which makes this plant really stand out. However, this hydrangea also boasts extra sturdy stems that keep the plant’s flowers upright in gardens and cut flower arrangements too!
6. Climbing hydrangeas (Hydrangea petiolaris)
| Hydrangea type: | Climbing hydrangea |
| Light requirements: | Full sun to shade |
| Water requirements: | Moderate |
| Growing zone: | Zones 4 to 8 |
| When to prune: | Prune immediately after flowering |
The most unique hydrangea type around, climbing hydrangeas really standout because they, well, climb! A vining-type plant, climbing hydrangeas are slow growers at first, but they pick up speed as they mature, and full-grown plants can stretch between 30 and 80’ in length. Often used to conceal retaining walls and unsightly garden fences, climbing hydrangeas can also be trained to crawl up pergolas and other outbuildings for interesting garden flair.
Commonly kept in cottage gardens, climbing hydrangeas’ unusual look makes them appealing in other garden styles too. Most climbing hydrangeas have creamy white lacecap blooms that are highly attractive to all sorts of pollinators. But for even more color, you can also find cultivars of these plants with two-toned or variegated leaves!
While climbing hydrangeas grow vigorously, they have delicate root systems that won’t damage masonry or wreak havoc the way English ivy will. However, these plants only bloom on old wood, so they should be pruned immediately after flowering to avoid accidentally clipping away next year’s flower buds.
There are many different types of climbing hydrangeas, including:
· ‘Silver Lining’
Trendy ‘Silver Lining’ hydrangeas will really capture your attention thanks to their unusual, variegated leaves. But these plants also feature brilliant white flowers that are attractive to pollinators, and their easy maintenance requirements make them a dream to grow.
· ‘Flying Saucer’
Named for its broad, flat, lacecap blooms, which are said to resemble flying saucers, this green-leafed hydrangea adds an airy feel to garden beds. But ‘Flying Saucer’ is also adaptable and hardy, and it can grow in a range of soil types and full sun or part shade!
· ‘Miranda’
Pretty as a picture, ‘Miranda’ climbing hydrangeas also have variegated leaves that are colored in various shades of green. On top of that, ‘Miranda’ also blooms fragrant flowers in spring to early summer, and its exfoliating bark adds interest to winter gardens as well!
Frequently asked questions
There are 6 types of hydrangeas that are commonly grown in gardens, but there may be up to 80 different species of hydrangeas in the wild. Most hydrangeas come from Asia, but some species are native to North America.
Thanks to its cold hardiness, the ‘Limelight’ hydrangea is one of the most popular picks for home gardens. However, as a group, bigleaf hydrangeas tend to be the most common hydrangeas grown in landscape designs.
In an ideal world, all hydrangeas would have nursery plant labels, but that isn’t always the case! If you need to identify a mystery hydrangea, examine the plant’s leaves and flowers closely, as different hydrangeas produce differently shaped leaves and flowers. If you’re still unsure, watch how your hydrangea grows throughout the year to determine if the plant blooms on old or new wood.
‘Limelight’ hydrangeas aren’t just cold hardy… they are also some of the most prolific bloomers you can find! Reblooming hydrangea cultivars are also great choices if you want hydrangea plants to flower again and again from spring through fall.
Because they are so cold hardy, panicle hydrangeas are considered to be the easiest plants to keep. Smooth hydrangeas are also cold-resistant, but they require more frequent watering.
That depends! Some hydrangeas rarely need pruning, but many hydrangeas benefit from yearly pruning in either spring or fall. Hydrangeas that bloom on new wood should be pruned in late winter to spring, while hydrangeas that bloom on old wood should only be pruned immediately after the plant flowers.
Summary
Whether you grow hydrangeas on their own or you plant them in porch planters or in a privacy hedge, hydrangeas are some of the most popular garden plants for a good reason. Easy to keep and generally cold and salt resistant, hydrangeas can grow in a wide range of garden spaces, and their strong shapes and bold flowers make them stand out in mixed planting designs.
If you live in a cold climate, tough-as-nails panicle hydrangeas may be for you. Or you may enjoy climbing hydrangeas on your pergola or garden fence. But if you’re still having trouble deciding which hydrangeas will work in your garden, why not plant a few different hydrangea types? Many hydrangeas have the same basic care requirements, so different cultivars should grow beautifully together, and their different flower shapes and bloom times will add complexity to your garden space.
For more information on hydrangeas, be sure to check out our complete hydrangea care guide and these simple tips on pruning and propagating hydrangeas.
M Coakley
Yòur article on hygranges is excellent.did not know all varities.Little Honey is most umusual not like the others