How do I know what kind of hydrangea I have?

If the flower buds open a green color, then turn white, and as they age turn green or greenish brown, you have an arborescens type. If the flowers open white and stay white until they get old, then you probably have a macrophylla type. White flowering macrophylla types are less common, but they do exist.

What is the most common type of hydrangea?

The most common type of hydrangea is a Bigleaf, or French hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla). These are categorized in mophead (big puffy balls), lacecap (similar to mophead but with tiny buds in the center) and mountain (similar to lacecap, but extremely cold hardy with smaller blooms).

How can you tell a bigleaf hydrangea?

Mophead Hydrangeas | Hydrangea macrophylla. These are the most popular bigleaf hydrangea. Many recognize these due to their large flower heads that are purple, blue and pink. In general, mophead and lacecap leaves are relatively thick and crisp, somewhat shiny, and often heart-shaped.

How do I know if my hydrangea?

If a stem is alive, it will display some green under the bark. If you can't find any live stems and no sprouts are visible from the base of the plant by late spring, you have a dead hydrangea. Pull the plant out and try for a more cold-hardy variety.

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.

What kind of hydrangea do I have?

What does a lacecap hydrangea look like?

Lacecap hydrangeas are hydrangeas whose flowers look like flat caps with frilly edges, which gave the shrubs their unusual yet appropriate moniker. Like mophead hydrangeas, lacecap hydrangeas belong to the bigleaf hydrangea species (Hydrangea macrophylla), which is native to Japan.

What does a mophead hydrangea look like?

Mopheads. Mophead hydrangeas offer big, dome-shape clusters of flowers in blue, pink, or white. Most mopheads bloom in late spring or early summer. Their flower heads often dry right on the plant and continue looking good into winter.

Should a hydrangea be cut back in the fall?

Prune these hydrangeas only after bloom in the summer and not in the fall. Old wood hydrangeas start developing their bloom buds for next year in August and September. If you don't prune your hydrangeas real soon, then it is better to wait until next year. Otherwise you won't have any blooms next spring.

Should I cut my hydrangea back for winter?

Hydrangeas that bloom on new wood require pruning in late winter or early spring. Prune to shape, cutting back to about two feet. The pruning promotes new, sturdy growth, which provides the blooms next season.

What happens if I don't prune my hydrangea?

What happens if you don't prune hydrangeas? If you don't prune hydrangeas then they can eventually resemble a tangled mass of woody stems, and the flowers will become smaller and less showy. Regular pruning of hydrangeas helps to maintain their shape and also encourages new growth and a better display of blooms.

How do you tell the difference between old wood and new wood hydrangeas?

“Old wood” means that buds are formed for next year's bloom at the end of the current growing season on stems produced during the previous summer. Typically pruned after flowering or early fall to encourage new flower buds on old stems. “New wood” means stems that have emerged during the current growing season.

Which hydrangeas should be pruned?

When should I prune my bigleaf hydrangea?

Prune bigleaf hydrangea when the flowers begin to fade. Prune out flower heads and head back other shoots, as necessary, to encourage branching and fullness. Flower buds will begin forming in late summer for the following season, so avoid pruning after August 1.

What is the prettiest hydrangea?

Which hydrangea blooms the longest?

Reblooming hydrangeas flower on both new and old growth, meaning you can enjoy flowers from June until the first frost. They'll continue to bloom long after other flowering shrubs and perennials have stopped. Long lasting blooms of blue, violet, pink, white, or chartreuse add brilliant pops of color to any garden.

How many different kind of hydrangeas are there?

Some sources say there are 23 species of hydrangea, others claim there are 49 and still others say there are as many as 80! However many there are, only six types are commonly grown in American gardens.

Should I cut off Brown hydrangea blooms?

Are the blooms on your hydrangea shrubs fading or turning brown? No need to worry – this is simply a sign that it's time to remove the flowers, a process called deadheading. When you deadhead hydrangeas, you aren't harming the plants at all.

What should hydrangeas look like in winter?

Hydrangea flower heads turn dry and brown in the fall and will remain that way throughout winter if not removed. Hydrangeas also lose their leaves during fall, but the brown stalks remain upright unless pruned back.

Do you cut dead heads off hydrangeas?

Since hydrangea blossoms are so big, deadheading a hydrangea makes a real difference in diverting energy to more important parts of the plant's growth. You should carry out this practice all through the blooming season to encourage new blossoms and keep your plant looking fresh.

How do I prepare my hydrangeas for winter?

The simplest method is to mound shredded leaves or bark mulch around the base of the plant to about 12 inches or so. Put the mulch mound in place in late fall after the ground freezes, and uncover plants in spring when temperatures begin to stay above freezing.

How far down do you cut hydrangeas in the fall?

Some hydrangeas' branches often fall over under the weight of their blooms, especially after overhead irrigation or after a good rain. One way to alleviate this flopping is to cut the stems to a height of 18 to 24 inches to provide a sturdy framework to support new growth.

How do you protect hydrangeas in the winter?

Protect your in-ground hydrangea in winter by making a frame around the plant using stakes. Wrap chicken wire around the stakes to form a cage. Fill the cage with pine needles and/or leaves to fully insulate your plant. Oak leaves work well because they do not settle as easily as other materials.

What type of hydrangea is a mop head?

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.

What is a mop head?

Definition of mophead

1 : the mass of material at the end of a mop fluffy nylon mophead collects dirt and dust — advertisement. 2 : a thick or bushy head of hair or the individual possessing it.

Which hydrangea are perennials?

The hydrangea perennial family is large and diverse. Most hydrangea varieties reach between 4 to 12 feet in height and are hardy, including the smooth hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens), the panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata) and the oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia).