Landscaping with Shade Tolerant Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas are one of our favorite flowering shrubs that lights up spring and summer landscapes. They come in a variety of sizes, shapes and, of course, colors. Since we’re in the woods, we’re naturally more focused on shade tolerant hydrangeas.

In this article we’re sharing the hydrangeas we’re growing as well as some general info on hydrangeas, including medicinal uses and benefits.

Hydrangeas

Scientific Name

Genus name [hydrangea] derives from hydro (water) and aggeion (vessel) due to the cup-like shape of the fruit. ^[1]https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=292385

• Family: Saxifragaceae
  • Genus: hydrangea
  • hydro (water)
  • aggeion (vessel) (αγγείων)
• Common Names:
  • lace cap
  • mop head
  • oak leaf
  • climbing
  • bigleaf
  • French
  • penny mac
  • hortensia

Our Sage Gnome (aka Wizard Gnome) watching over the GardensAll garden and creatures.

Hydrangea Uses in Landscape

Attractive to pollinators, hydrangeas can adorn the landscape as specimen plants, accents, or in mass plantings, such as foundation plants. They also work well as the tall backdrop bushes for lower growing mid to low plants such as hostas and flowers.

Many hydrangeas are shade tolerant, through perform best with a few hours of daily sun.

Tier Hydrangeas in Landscape Beds

• Back row – Hydrangeas – perennials
• Middle row – Hostas – perennials
• Front row – Flowers – annual or perennials

Landscaping with Hydrangeas Includes

• Showy backdrops in foundation landscaping
• Regal standalone shrubs
• Magnificent collections of hydrangea bushes

What Hydrangeas Blossom Colors Reveal

A fascinating aspect of many hydrangeas is that their blooms are like pH (soil acidity) barometers. Pinks appear in higher pH soils whereas the blues show in acidic soils.

White blossoms often indicate a neutral pH (6-7), unless it’s already a white variety of hydrangea, such as with the climbing and oak leaf varieties.

You Can Change Your Hydrangea Color

Moreover, growers can actually change the color of their hydrangeas by adjusting the pH. You can read more about that in this article on how to change hydrangea colors on our friend, Adriana’s website.

We’ve grown a number of varieties here in our shady woods garden (zone 7a). Here’s a quick rundown on the types we have in our landscape:

Oakleaf – Hydrangea quercifolia

Oak leaf flowers turn tan and persist into winter adding interest to the landscape.

🍃SIZE: Large plant (6-10 ft ht /spread 6 ft or wider)
🍃LEAF: Lobed (oak-like) leaves 3- 8 inches long and often 2/3’s as wide
🍃HABIT: Upright habit
🍃YEAR ROUND: Bark exfoliates; tan flowers add visual interest in winter
🍃DIFFICULTY: Basically trouble free
🍃FLOWERS: White flowers change to purplish/lavender then brown out
🍃GROWTH: Slow-medium grower
🍃ZONE: Hardy down to -10 (protect in Zone 5 or colder)
🍃SUN: – Shade tolerant – sun to partial shade

Oak Leaf Hydrangea Video

Lady in Red – Hydrangea macrophylla

🍃SIZE: Moderate size (5 ft ht by 3-5 ft w)
🍃LEAF: Red veined leaves borne on red stems
🍃FALL COLOR: Deep maroon fall leaf color
🍃DIFFICULTY: Mildew resistant, trouble free
🍃FLOWERS: Blooms from spring to summer (ours are blueish)
🍃ZONE: Hardy Zones 6-9
🍃SUN: Shade tolerant – Sun to partial shade

Climbing Hydrangea  – Hydrangea anomala petiolaris 

Once established (2-3 years) can be quite vigorous; blossoms beginning in May in Zone 7a.

🍃SIZE: Height depends on what it attaches to
🍃LEAF: Leaves are heart-shaped, lustrous and deeply veined
🍃FLOWERS: Fragrant, showy white “lace caps”, prolific
🍃EXPOSURE: Best suited for a northern or eastern exposure
🍃YEAR ROUND: Bark exfoliates to add winter interest
🍃SUN: Shade tolerant – Sun to partial shade
🍃ZONE: Hardy Zones 4-7

“Some landscape garden impresarios cite the climbing hydrangea as ‘the best vine!’”
~Michael A. Dirr, Manual of Woody Landscape Plants, p. 325

 

Climbing Hydrangea Video

See a large, mature climbing hydrangeas up close in this video.

Sorry that it’s vertical! We’ll retake this video in horizontal view this spring and swap it out. Meanwhile it’s better than nothing! 😇

 

Mop Head – Hydrangea x macrophylla

🍃SIZE: 3-6 ft tall and just as wide
🍃LEAF: Deep green foliage
🍃FLOWER: Mop head blooms come earlier changing from white to red
🍃HABIT: Compact plant
🍃BENEFITS: Leaves can be used for tea
🍃ZONE: Hardy Zones 6-9
🍃SUN: Shade tolerant – sun to partial shade

Note: Our mop head hydrangeas went from green to yellow to pale blue

You can see info and a video on pruning this Mop Head – Hydrangea x macrophylla here.