Late spring or early summer brings between 5 to 9 weeks of flowering for bigleaf and mountain hydrangeas. The buds that grew at the tips of the stems the previous year give rise to the mophead or lacecap blooms (on old wood). Most older varieties only produce one bloom. Some mountain and bigleaf hydrangeas develop bloom buds in buds all the way up and down the stems the year before (not just at the tips). Weeks or months after the terminal flower buds in the early summer bloom, these flower buds may mature and open. “Free-flowering” describes the flowering pattern of bigleaf and mountain hydrangeas.
“Everblooming” hydrangeas bloom both from buds that were formed on new growth and from buds that were formed the previous year. In the latter instance, flower buds begin to form at the tips of new growth, and these buds will continue to grow throughout the year before eventually blooming. Bigleaf and mountain hydrangeas with this trait, formally known as “remontant,” have the capacity to bloom practically constantly during the growing season. At the UF/IFAS North Florida Research and Education Center, some of these hydrangeas blossomed after 30 weeks or longer. Bigleaf and mountain hydrangeas with ever-blooming varieties are exceptionally well-liked and predominate in the nursery industry.
Flower Types
Hydrangeas of the “Mophead” or “hortensia” kind produce ball-shaped flower clusters that are 3 to 8 inches across (Figure 1). The majority of these single blossoms are sterile and don’t set seed. Flat clusters of “lacecap” hydrangeas about 3 to 8 inches across are made up of tiny, spidery blossoms and are encircled by a ring of larger flowers (Figure 2). Each viable spidery blossom measures 1/4 to 1/2 inch wide and has the ability to set seed. The spectacular, conspicuous blossoms that are on the flower clusters’ outer periphery are sterile and resemble mophead hydrangeas.
Characteristics of Individual Flowers
Four prominent, conspicuous sepals that resemble petals and are as wide as one to three inches apiece define attractive sterile blooms. Some flowers contain two or three times as many petals, giving them a fuller or lacy appearance. Serrated petals might further the illusion of laciness.
Petal colour can change from white to green, blue, or burgundy as flowers senescence or are pollinated. Additionally, individual flowers have the ability to invert so that the “behind” of the petals are visible. Flowers that are getting older can still be highly lovely and extend the flowering season by several weeks (Figure 3).
In Florida, do hydrangeas bloom all year long?
The hydrangea is a perennial blooming shrub that is cultivated for its enormous, pastel-colored blossoms. The sandy soil in Orlando provides a difficulty for hydrangea gardeners. The University of Florida’s agronomists advise Orlando gardeners to grow Hydrangea macrophylla, also known as Bigleaf, French, or Florist’s hydrangea. One of the options is the Endless Summer variety. Hydrangeas bloom in Orlando in the late spring and early summer.
Give your hydrangea the right quantity of sunshine. Plant the hydrangea where it will receive afternoon shade because morning sun is OK but it will need protection from the intense heat of the sun.
- The hydrangea is a perennial blooming shrub that is cultivated for its enormous, pastel-colored blossoms.
- Plant the hydrangea where it will receive afternoon shade because morning sun is OK but it will need protection from the intense heat of the sun.
- Make certain the hydrangea is planted in well-drained soil.
- At the hydrangea’s base, spread a 3-inch layer of mulch, being careful not to let it touch the bark.
During the summer, treat your hydrangea twice with a balanced fertiliser like 10-10-10. Apply the product at the rate recommended on the package. After August, avoid fertilising your hydrangea. Feed your hydrangea every two weeks from March to November if you are growing it in a container. From December to February, reduce feedings to once a month.
If you desire larger blossoms, prune your Hydrangea arborescens (like Annabelle) back to 1 foot tall in late winter. Prune it to 2 feet or more if you don’t care about size and want additional blossoms. Early June is the best time to prune oakleaf hydrangeas. Nikko Blue and other Hydrangea macrophylla need to be clipped when plants start to sprout leaves in the spring. Just above the blossom, trim the stems. Anytime is a good moment to prune Endless Summer.
- During the summer, treat your hydrangea twice with a balanced fertiliser like 10-10-10.
- If you desire larger blossoms, prune your Hydrangea arborescens (like Annabelle) back to 1 foot tall in late winter.
When the first frost hits new hydrangea plants, cover them. Plants that are more established are better equipped to withstand cold temperatures. Cover even the mature hydrangea bush if the weather should suddenly turn cold or hot.
Can you grow hydrangeas in Florida?
What is your favourite plant? is usually one of the first inquiries after people learn what I do for a livelihood. That question can be challenging to answer because I’m a bit of a plant nerd! But I always come back to the same response: “Hydrangea. My fellow gardeners and I appreciate hydrangeas for a variety of factors. A hydrangea in full, billowy bloom is without a doubt one of the few plants that inspire more happy memories of summers past or lead to more impulsive purchases at nurseries. Few specimen bushes offer more floral punch while necessitating less maintenance from the grower. My own passion for hydrangeas began with my first attempt at propagation, when a softwood cutting of Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Nikko Blue’—taken with the assistance of someone much more experienced than I—seemed to magically sprout roots in a makeshift glasshouse made of a cypress box with a rusty, crusty sliding glass door. The hydrangeas got me. Despite having all of these positive qualities to its name, the genus Hydrangea is nevertheless neglected and underestimated in contemporary settings. Let’s discuss some of the best Hydrangea species and cultivars to search for at the nursery as well as the two main reasons why gardeners struggle and become frustrated with hydrangeas in the landscape.
First off, hydrangeas are known for using a lot of water. Hydrangeas are sensitive to water, as their name might imply (the Greek word for water is “hydor”). They merely show signs of drought more quickly than most other plants, which does not necessarily suggest that they need more or less water than other plants. This characteristic makes hydrangea an especially valuable indicator plant in the landscape. In general, hydrangeas wilt in the afternoon heat; this is completely normal. This is especially true for those that were planted in too much sun. However, the gardener will know that irrigation is necessary if the plants are still wilting the next morning. The plants could start to deteriorate if you don’t provide watering quickly after they inform you they need it. Consider this feature as an early warning system rather than a downside. What other plant shows such concern for us gardeners?
The second most common cause of hydrandea failure is poor site selection. In Florida, growing hydrangeas in full sun produces less than stellar results. All hydrangea species thrive best when planted in areas that receive at least some afternoon shade, if not filtered shade all day long. The negative effects of afternoon sun exposure include increased wilting due to heat stress, higher irrigation needs, and “bleached flower colour.” Never forget that growing the proper plant in the incorrect location is less frustrating than other situations!
Now that you’ve learned how to grow hydrangeas successfully, it’s time to choose the right plant for your yard! For the gardener’s consideration in Northwest Florida, three main species—H. macrophylla (Bigleaf Hydrangea), H. quercifolia (Oakleaf Hydrangea), and H. paniculata—perform notably better here than the rest of their relatives (Panicle Hydrangea).
When in bloom, H. macrophylla, the traditional hydrangea that everyone’s grandmother cultivated, stands out as one of the most distinctive plants in the shaded Southern landscape. H. macrophylla is an incredibly low maintenance plant, requiring only occasional irrigation and seldom fertiliser; H. macrophylla even tolerates salt spray and may be grown on the Gulf Coast! It has enormous “mopheads of inflorescences in stunning colours of blue (or pink, depending on soil pH). The majority of inquiries I get about H. macrophylla concern plants that aren’t flowering because they were pruned at the wrong time of year. Pruning once-blooming traditional cultivars like “Nikko Blue” as soon as flowering is ended in the late summer will produce the finest flowering returns. The wood from the previous season is where these plants establish their flower buds; pruning older varieties in the fall or winter may invigorate the plant, but it will stop it from blooming the next year. Fortunately, improvements in hydrangea breeding over the past 20 years have offered gardeners the option of planting remontant cultivars that bloom on wood from the current season. Remontant cultivars like “Endless Summer,” “Penny Mac,” “Bloomstruck,” and “All Season Beauty,” which are frequently sold, offer a similar early summer flower display to the traditional varieties but continue to bloom intermittently for the remainder of the summer. Even better, they can be cut back at any time without affecting the bloom display for the following season!
The natural Oakleaf Hydrangea is the next option for those seeking to diversify their hydrangea collection (H. quercifolia). Native to Florida, the oakleaf hydrangea grows untamed around the northern end of the Apalachicola River in steep, shaded ravines. The Oakleaf would be worthwhile to plant even if it never bloomed since it has enormous, oak-shaped leaves that may grow up to a foot long and give Floridians some of the best fall foliage colour. The flowers, like with all hydrangea species, are the major attraction. This species has 8–10 white flowers in panicles that are carried gracefully above the rough-textured leaves. In addition to these qualities, Oakleaf Hydrangeas are quite simple to cultivate, reaching heights of up to 10′ and requiring only proper irrigation and some shade during the heat of the day from the gardener. Look for the cultivars “Alice,” “Semmes Beauty,” and “Snowflake,” which are the author’s favourites. These H. quercifolia cultivars and selections all do exceptionally well in Northwest Florida.
Last but not least, H. paniculata, the newest hydrangea species introduced to Florida gardens, has made tremendous strides in the landscape business during the past ten years. H. paniculata, which is primarily grown as the cultivar “Limelight,” solves some of the shortcomings of the two aforementioned species because it can withstand full sun and requires considerably less water, perhaps making it a more sustainable plant for many situations. Similar to the remontant H. macrophylla varieties, this plant blooms on new wood and even seems to relish a harsh pruning each winter; plants that have undergone this pruning appear to be more vigourous the following season and produce larger greenish-white flower panicles than those that have not. H. paniculata, in particular “Limelight,” is a valuable addition to any landscape, despite the fact that it is a relative newcomer.
You can see that there is a hydrangea for every yard, and no authentically Southern landscape is complete without a few of them. This summer, when browsing your neighbourhood garden centre, check for the options and species described above, plant them correctly, and then take pleasure in the succeeding yearly flower display for many years to come! Who knows, you might develop a love for hydrangeas as I did!
In Florida, do hydrangeas become dormant?
It might be preferable to cultivate hydrangeas indoors in pots due to Florida’s intense heat and sunlight.
I’ve been searching local garden centres for my favourite hydrangea plants ever since I arrived to Florida last summer. They are not, at least, in the “garden area. Inside the Home Depot, I’ve seen hydrangeas in pots intended for gift-giving or for use as houseplants. And I believe that they might thrive indoors in this hot, muggy environment.
The Oakleaf hydrangea will thrive outdoors in zone 9 according to what I’ve read, so that is one possibility. If I decide to buy it, it will be experimental because it is not precisely like any of the other varieties of hydrangea I have grown. Additionally, it lacks those enormously beautiful blossoms that mopheads have, making it seem quite green. The Oakleaf appears to thrive in shaded situations where it would receive filtered sunlight. Additionally, it doesn’t appear to be planted for its stunning blossoms.
What I do know is that hydrangeas thrive in morning sun, followed by shade for the remainder of the day. It will necessitate a great deal of watering in Florida during dry periods as well. Any hydrangea growing in the ground here would require a lot of water, in my opinion.
In gardening discussion boards, I’ve read that some people purchase the potted hydrangeas that are offered around the holidays and then store them indoors out of the direct sun.
The challenge with growing hydrangeas down here is that tropical plants often stay lush and green all year long. Because hydrangeas are deciduous, their leaves will drop off throughout the winter. They will therefore appear out of place in a Florida landscape. Since everything in the north hibernates for the winter, leafless hydrangea plants don’t stand out too much. Or, given the southern environment, will they retain their leaves?
Instead of growing hydrangeas, someone proposed growing camellias. Camellias are beautiful plants with a variety of blossoms, and I’ve cultivated them in the past.
Coming up are Easter and Mother’s Day, and I imagine the neighbourhood shops will have some hydrangeas available for both of those occasions. It might be the ideal season to locate new hydrangeas for my southern house to grow.
My favourite hydrangeas in the north were Pinky Winky and the blue varieties, but having a potted hydrangea that is actually pink could be a wonderful change of pace.