What are hydrangeas with mopheads? These hydrangea shrubs are deciduous and boast huge flower heads. They are popular among gardeners because they are showy, simple to care for, and consistently bloom each summer. It won’t surprise you that mopheads also go by the name bigleaf hydrangeas once you see how big the leaves can get—sometimes as huge as a dinner plate. They give the shrubs a rich, rounded appearance and are a vibrant, fresh green.
According to information about mophead hydrangeas, the shrubs can get as tall as you are and spread out equally as much as you do. If properly spaced, they may grow pretty quickly and create great hedges. There are two varieties of mophead hydrangeas. Some mopheads have huge, spherical clusters of tiny blooms that can resemble cabbages in size. Lacecaps are the other variety of mopheads. These bushes produce flower clusters that resemble flat disks with spectacular, bigger bloom edges.
If you grow mophead hydrangeas, you are probably familiar with the “magic trick” of the plant. These hydrangeas have a spectrum of hues. An acidic soil is necessary for a mophead to grow blue flowers. The blossoms will grow in pink if you cultivate the same bush in alkaline soil.
What hydrangeas have mophead flowers?
The most common hydrangea variety grown in landscapes and backyard gardens is mops (Hydrangea macrophylla). While a few types of mopheads are developed today in white, the majority are blue or pink. These are additionally frequently called French hydrangeas.
Both Mophead and Lacecap Hydrangeas fall under the Hydrangea macrophylla genus. The growing environment is the same for both types.
Depending on the soil’s makeup, any mophead hydrangea (apart from the white ones) may be blue, purple, or pink.
What kind of plant is a mophead hydrangea?
Mopheads. Mophead hydrangeas produce enormous, dome-shaped clusters of blue, pink, or white blooms. Late spring or early summer is when the majority of mopheads blossom. Their flower heads frequently remain attractive into the winter because they naturally dry on the plant.
What distinguishes lacecap from mophead hydrangea?
Bigleaf hydrangeas, also known as Hydrangea macrophylla, are the most popular variety of hydrangea. French hydrangea, garden hydrangea, and florist’s hydrangea are some more frequent names for this plant. Most likely, the hydrangeas at your neighborhood florist are bigleaf varieties.
Bigleaf hydrangeas come in three different varieties:
- Due to their huge, puffy bloom heads, mophead hydrangeas are the most recognizable and well-liked hydrangeas. They flourish in hardiness zone 6, and their blossoms can be purple, blue, or pink. Mophead hydrangea flower buds may not endure the winter since they are susceptible to the cold.
- With their flowers being the main distinction, lacecap and mophead hydrangeas are nearly identical to one another. They have little, fruitful flower buds in the middle, and the showy flowers surround the flower head’s margin. The main function of these gorgeous, sterile flowers is to entice bees and butterflies to the fertile buds in the middle. They flourish in hardiness zone 6, just like mophead hydrangeas do.
- The least frequent variety of bigleaf hydrangeas are mountain hydrangeas. Its scientific name is Hydrangea serrata, and while its flattened heads resemble those of lacecap hydrangeas, its flowers and leaves are much smaller. Mountain hydrangeas are a fantastic alternative for locations with late winter cold snaps because they have hardier buds and do well in hardiness zone 5.
True to its name, the bigleaf hydrangea’s trait that sets it apart from other hydrangea varieties is the size of its leaves. The leaves of bigleaf hydrangeas can get up to 4-6 long and 3-5 broad. The leaves have short stalks, are heart-shaped, thick, and lustrous.
Bigleaf hydrangeas like some shade, but not too much, as this can lead to fewer flowers. They prefer moist, well-drained soil, and their blooming seasons are in June and July. Given that bigleaf hydrangeas are drought-sensitive, it is crucial to consistently water them.
By adjusting the soil’s acidity, you can vary the color of your hydrangeas. Blue flowers can be grown on acidic soil with a pH of 5.5 or below. Pink flowers will grow on neutral or alkali soils with a pH of 6.5 or higher. Purple flowers or a hybrid of blue and pink flowers will grow in soil with a pH between 5.5 and 6.5.
Where should a mophead hydrangea be planted?
Mophead hydrangeas are easy to grow and don’t require much skill. As long as they are planted in the right locations, these shrubs thrive with little upkeep. If you plant mophead hydrangeas in USDA plant hardiness zones 5 through 9, caring for them will be the simplest. They thrive in full sun in temperate climates, but in areas with hotter summers, choose a location with afternoon shade.
There are only a few key elements to keep in mind if you’re looking for advice on how to grow a mophead hydrangea.
Include routine irrigation with your shrub installation. Their water requirements decrease as their root systems mature. Typically, you only need to water during extended dry spells of more than a week. However, you might need to water more frequently if you’re growing mophead hydrangea in direct sunlight. You can use less water when irrigating once the summer heat has passed.
Pruning is not always necessary for mophead hydrangea maintenance. If you do want to prune your hydrangea, do it immediately following the shrub’s flowering season.
Do you prune hydrangeas with mopheads?
Determine the type of hydrangea you have before you begin pruning. The blossoms from the following year could be lost if you prune at the incorrect time! See our suggestions and hydrangea pruning schedules by variety.
Pruning at the incorrect time is one of the most frequent causes of hydrangeas not flowering. For guidance on when to prune your garden’s hydrangeas, refer to the chart below. While some varieties should be left alone until after their summer bloom, others should be clipped in the late winter.
Photos and Tips by Hydrangea Variety
Bigleaf or macrophylla hydrangeas, such as mophead and lacecap hydrangeas, can both be pruned immediately following flowering by pruning back the flowering shoots to the next bud. Cut up to a third of the stems off at the base of older plants in late summer if they aren’t blooming well to promote new growth.
Bigleaf Hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla)
Both fresh and old wood can support several hydrangea hybrids. My hardy from zones 4 to 9 mophead hydrangea, “Endless Summer,” has the great property of blooming on both old and new wood. Hydrangeas from Endless Summer do best in early light and afternoon shade. Since they bloom on both old and new growth, Endless Summer Hydrangea don’t require pruning; however, if you do need to cut back, do it right away after flowering. In the spring, merely remove the dead stems.
My other blue hydrangea is a lacecap variety called “Let’s Dance Starlight,” but it bears a flat blossom made up of numerous small, fertile flowers surrounded by a few showy, sterile blossoms as opposed to the enormous, mophead-type flower cluster that “Endless Summer” possesses. It blooms on both old and young wood and is hardy from Zones 5 to 9. Pruning is typically not necessary, however it can be lightly clipped after the first flowering, similar to Endless Summer.
Panicle Hydrangeas (H. paniculata)
The panicle-type hydrangeas are those that are cultivated most frequently in cooler locations since they are not only lovely but also highly hardy, easily surviving winters in Zone 3. The “Grandiflora,” commonly known as the Pee Gee hydrangea, is one of the most enduring and dependable favorites. It was the first cultivar of Asian hydrangea to be brought to the United States, in 1862. It is native to China and Japan. They enjoyed great popularity in the Victorian era. The flowers are initially creamy white and mature to a rosy pink. They can be dried, and a winter arrangement with them looks great. Here is information on drying these beautiful hydrangeas.
There are numerous varieties of panicles available. One of them is called “Pinky Winky,” and it has long, cone-shaped white and pink flowers. Another is called “Vanilla Strawberry,” and it has panicles that are white at the tip, pink in the middle, and red at the base. Try “Limelight,” which features chartreuse blossoms that gradually turn pink in the fall, for something new.
Hydrangeas with a panicle-like shape need to be clipped in late winter to prevent overgrowth.
Smooth Hydrangeas (H. arborescens)
Native to North America, smooth hydrangeas were first discovered growing freely in Pennsylvania. They tolerate light shade, start blooming in June, and keep blooming until the end of the growing season. They have spherical, white blossoms that can grow to be 12 inches in diameter.
Popular cultivar “Annabelle” can be used to brighten a dim road or as a mass planting at the edge of a forest because it grows to a height of 3 to 5 feet. Zone 3 is its hardiness zone.
Oakleaf Hydrangeas (H. quercifolia)
Another indigenous plant to North America is the oak-leaf hydrangea, which was first found in Georgia in 1773.
Although it enjoys full sun, swamp snowball is hardy to zone 5 and may tolerate light shade while still blooming. It starts to bloom in August, a little later than the other hydrangeas. It produces enormous panicles of blooms that emerge white and mature to a dark pink color. The deeply lobed leaves, which resemble an oak leaf, turn a deep crimson scarlet in the fall.
Although oak-leaf hydrangeas don’t require much pruning, you can tidy them up by removing the dead stems at the base in the early spring.
Learn More
Our page on All Hydrangea Varieties (with photographs!) will help you identify your hydrangea if you’re still confused.
For all your queries about planting, growing, and trimming hydrangeas, feel free to use our free comprehensive guide!
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Mophead hydrangeas bloom for how long?
One of the most well-liked hydrangeas in our gardens is Hydrangea macrophylla (Big Leaf Hydrangea), which is native to Japan. This deciduous shrub has a rounded form, big, strong leaves, and lovely clusters of June flowers that bloom for a long time. The Mophead Hydrangeas and the Lacecap Hydrangeas are the two subspecies that make up the species.
- Large, spherical flower heads covered largely in showy, sterile florets are produced by Mophead Hydrangeas or Hortensias. The blooms will continue to bloom nonstop throughout the summer, for a period of three to six months, until October arrives and they begin to change color. Rich blues that turn wine-red can be quite spectacular, as can whites that turn pale green or even blood-red.
- The flattened flower clusters that Lacecap Hydrangeas create are made up of showy, sterile florets that radiate out from a core cluster of tiny, fertile florets. The lacecap blooms will fade much more quickly than the mopheads since the fertile florets will be pollinated, only holding their beauty for around a month.
- Deep blues, vivid pinks, pure whites, lavender, and intense red and purple hues are just a few of the many colors available. The majority of Hydrangea macrophylla varieties have the additional allure of changing color according to the pH of the soil. These species can grow blue blooms in highly acidic soils, whereas pink flowers can grow in somewhat acidic soils. If you want your Hydrangea’s blossoms to be a different hue, you can amend the soil with aluminum sulfate to make them bluer or with lime to make them pinker.
- Zones 6 through 9 are hardy, Bigleaf Hydrangeas prefer a thick layer of mulch all year round because they are more susceptible to cold than their relatives (shredded bark, peat or compost ). This will control weed growth, hold onto moisture, and lessen soil temperature swings.
- Bigleaf Hydrangeas prefer sun to partial shade and do best in rich, medium-moisture soils that drain well. They can only survive full sun if the soil is continually moist.
- No significant pest or disease problems. Keep an eye out for leaf spots, mildew, bacterial wilt, and bud blight.
- Perfect for container and foundation plantings. grouped in a protected area or used as a decorative plant. They work well as a hedge and also make wonderful cut flowers! Perfect for gardens near the sea because of their hard, glossy leaves, which can tolerate wind and salt.
- After flowering, Bigleaf Hydrangea stems should be trimmed by being cut down to two sound buds. In the early spring, remove weak or winter-damaged stems.
What hydrangea has the most gorgeous flowers?
Top 15 Hydrangea Flowers in Beauty
- Rocklin’s Aspera Hydrangea
- Konigstein’s Hydrangea Macrophylla:
- Lemmonhoff’s Hydrangea Macrophylla:
- Nikko Blue Macrophylla Hydrangea:
- Macrophylla Taube’s Hydrangea:
- Munchkin’s Hydrangea Quercifolia:
- Glowing Embers Hydrangea Macrophylla Alpengluhen:
- Ever Pink Hydrangea Macrophylla:
They are hardy
The species of hydrangea most tolerant of freezing temperatures is the panicle. They are dependable shrubs or tiny trees that thrive with little effort. Their sturdy, reddish-brown branches range from being straight to arching and occasionally bow from the weight of the enormous blossoms. Although something closer to 6 or 8 feet tall and wide is more typical, something up to 15 feet tall and wide is possible. Panicle hydrangeas are typically too large for small gardens, but anybody may enjoy them with careful pruning or by picking a tiny variety like ‘Dharuma’ or Quick FireTM.
Pruning doesn’t affect bloom
Panicle hydrangeas don’t mind being clipped, unlike bigleaf hydrangeas (H. macrophylla cvs., Zones 69). Typically in early spring, I advise trimming the plants back by about half of their height before the leaves appear, though this is optional if you have space for a larger plant. Due to space limitations in the trial beds, we had to start trimming, but the better habits and results we saw afterward encouraged us to keep doing it. The size of the hydrangeas with annual pruning is depicted in the chart below. Contrary to many bigleaf varieties, panicle hydrangeas bloom on new wood, thus trimming won’t stop them from producing blooms and might even make them bigger. Annual trimming, in contrast to some accounts, did not promote long, feeble stems that were unable to sustain the weighty blossoms. All the cultivars, with the exception of “Dolly,” were robust enough to support their blossoms.
Flower type and size vary
Panicle hydrangeas produce a mixture of beautiful, sterile florets and frothy, fertile florets in their flowers. The showy florets, which vary in size and number depending on the cultivar, create the protracted bloom show, which is accentuated by a transformation from white to various pink tones. Unsurprisingly, the breeding trend has been to enhance the pink hue of the wilting blooms. I employ the words “To distinguish between the two floral varieties of panicle hydrangea, use the terms lacy and “mop.” In contrast, Lacy describes an open panicle with showy florets scattered throughout the fertile flowers “Mop is a sign of an excess of colorful florets with fertile florets buried beneath.
Watch the pHbut don’t worry about deer
I discovered that the alkaline nature of our soils at the Chicago Botanic Garden, particularly in hot, dry weather, may contribute to panicle hydrangea foliar chlorosis. Consistent watering will guarantee healthier foliage and more robust bloom output in hot conditions. Panicle hydrangeas are resilient to urban environments and rarely encounter pests or illnesses. While some cultivars are frequently praised for their mildew tolerance, none of our plants ever developed powdery mildew. Deer also favor bigleaf hydrangeas, but they usually show less interest in panicle varieties.
They have some winter interest
I’m not crazy about going into detail about a plant’s winter characteristics, but I disagree with detractors who claim that panicle hydrangea lacks any winter appeal. When rimmed with frost or covered in snow, the faded brown blossoms add some color and structural interest. I prefer to leave them on till spring because I’m a lazy gardener at heart and I’ll be pruning the branches anyway. When the crispy panicles break off and roll across the garden like tiny tumbleweeds, it’s entertaining.