When Do Different Types of Hydrangeas Bloom

We have already discussed some important information regarding the flowers of hydrangeas. The blooming of flowers depends upon the species and the environmental conditions in which they grow, however, most usually tend to bloom from late spring to early fall.

Here, we will briefly discuss some commonly used hydrangeas in our garden.

1. Bigleaf Hydrangeas

Bigleaf hydrangeas, also known as French hydrangeas, are a very common type of hydrangea in our garden. They often thrive in partial shade and are 6 to 10 feet tall. 

Bigleaf hydrangeas bloom in summer and their flowers last from June to August most of the time. These hydrangeas produce pink, red, purple, or blue flowers. Bigleaf hydrangeas have a unique ability to change the color of their flowers based on the acidic level in the soil. Acidic soil often forms blue flowers, whereas alkaline soil produces red or pink flowers.

2. Oakleaf Hydrangeas

The leaves of an oakleaf hydrangea are shaped like the leaf of an oak plant. This is how they got their name. These hydrangeas are around 6 to 8 feet in height and produce white, pink, or purple flowers.

Oakleaf hydrangeas also bloom in summer, mostly between June and September. Oakleaf hydrangeas grow in well-drained acidic soil and can tolerate heat and cold much better than bigleaf hydrangeas.

3. Smooth Hydrangeas

Smooth hydrangeas are around 3 to 5 feet in height and can grow in partial shade and full sunlight if provided with constant moisture. They are known for their big flowers, good reliability, and cold-tolerant capability.

Smooth hydrangeas bloom in summer, and their flower might last from June to September, depending on weather conditions. The color of the blossom is initially green which gradually turns into white and then into pink.

4. Panicle Hydrangeas

Panicle hydrangeas are well known for their large and cone-like flowers. They are tall reaching a height between 6 and 15 feet high and are upright or pyramidal. Panicle hydrangeas are often found in well-drained acidic soil and are cold resistant than most other types of hydrangeas.

Panicle hydrangeas can bloom in summer and autumn usually between July and September and produce white flowers. They are easier to grow and maintain than other hydrangeas. 

5. Climbing Hydrangeas

As their name suggests, climbing hydrangeas are vines and are easy to spot. They can easily claim your wall and reach a height between 30 to 40 feet. They grow in acidic soil and can thrive in brick walls and chimneys of your house. They can grow under partial shade and full sun as well. 

The leaves and flowers of climbing hydrangeas are very appealing. The leaves are of dark green color which gradually turns yellow during autumn. Similarly, hydrangeas produce large white flowers in late spring or early summer.

6. Mountain Hydrangeas

Mountain hydrangeas are related to bigleaf hydrangeas, however produce comparatively smaller and delicate flowers. Mountain hydrangeas get their name as they are grown in the mountains, especially in Korea and Japan, and can thrive in cold climates. They are around 2 to 4 feet in height and prefer to grow in partial shade. 

Mountain hydrangeas bloom in summer, and their flowers remain between June to August. The colors of flowers range from pink to blue and just like in the bigleaf hydrangeas, the color of the flowers depends on the level of acidity in the soil. 

7. Cascade Hydrangeas

Cascade hydrangeas are also known as fairytale bride hydrangeas or hybrid hydrangeas. This is the newest hydrangea and is getting popular these days. Cascade hydrangeas are not cold-tolerant and should be kept in a bright spot in the winter season.  

You can grow cascade hydrangeas in both the acidic and alkaline soil and the level of acidity does not affect the plant. These hydrangeas bloom in the spring and have white-colored flowers. 

Hydrangeas are flowering plants that are native to East Asia and America. Hydrangeas are very popular among horticulturists and gardeners as these plants are very vibrant and enhance the beauty of our garden.

Hydrangeas have been used in traditional medicines for a long time. This has been used to treat bladder infections, prostate infections, enlarged prostate, kidney stones, etc. The blue color hydrangea is believed to represent honor and glory in Japan.

Flowers:

Hydrangeas produce large, conical, and spherical flowers in clusters. The flowers are usually red, blue, white, purple, etc. and often bloom between late spring and early fall.

It is found that the pH of the soil is the determinant factor for the color of hydrangeas flowers. Acidic soil often produces blue or purple-colored flowers, while alkaline produces red or pink. However, the white flowers are unaffected by the acidity of the soil.

Growth habitat

Hydrangeas grow in well-drained soil and require regular watering. Most of them prefer shady environments while some can tolerate sunlight to some extent. The height of this plant can be from a few meters to 15 meters tall.

As discussed above, the acidity level of the soil is very important for the growth of particular hydrangeas. Some hydrangeas like bigleaf, oakleaf, and mountain hydrangeas prefer acidic soil, whereas smooth and panicle hydrangeas love alkaline soil. 

Leaves

The shape and size of the leaves vary from one species to another. They can be large, oval, serrated, pointed, rounded, elliptical etc. The color of leaves also varies with species from dark green to purple color, which is again determined by the environment that they grow in. 

The leaves of an oakleaf hydrangea are shaped like an oak, while the climbing hydrangeas have a heart-like leaf structure.

Roots

Hydrangeas have fibrous root systems that are very sensitive to dry soil. As they grow in well-drained soil, this root system helps in absorbing moisture and other nutrients as these roots are extended as wide as the plant from the base. 

Hydrangeas require regular watering and mulching for their growth as the soil they grow in is very porous which leaches water and nutrients at a faster rate. 

Hydrangeas in your garden might not bloom because of several reasons. Different factors like sunlight, shade, mulch, water, nutrients, etc. need to be taken into account for the hydrangeas to bloom. Let us discuss these in brief.

There are around 80 species of Hydrangea that grow in different climatic conditions. Some Hydrangeas need mild warmer while some need mild colder environments to thrive. Thus, a Hydrangea grown in one part of the world might not be able to grow in your garden.

How To Fix:

Before planting any species of Hydrangeas in your garden, you need to think if the local climatic conditions are suitable for them or not. You do not want to plant a Hydrangea grown in a warmer environment in an area that gets chilly most time of the year.

Sunlight influences the growth, blooming, and color of Hydrangeas. Most hydrangeas require some amount of shade along with sunlight. However, some species of hydrangeas can withstand sunlight quite longer than others. Too much exposure to the sun causes loss of moisture in many Hydrangeas and completely dehydrates them.

Hydrangeas like panicle hydrangeas can tolerate sunlight for more than six hours each day, meanwhile, bigleaf hydrangeas, oakleaf hydrangeas can only survive the sunlight just above four hours.

How To Fix:

The place where you plant your hydrangeas will determine if they will thrive there or not. As most hydrangeas prefer partial shade, you need to provide your hydrangeas with adequate sunlight in the morning and shade in the afternoon. You can also place artificial shading objects or a cloth during the intense hot days.

Most species of hydrangeas grow in well-drained soil, where the water and nutrients percolate faster through the soil and do not stay for too long. That is why you need to periodically supply your hydrangeas with a good amount of fertilizers with nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, aluminum, etc.

You should also make sure to avoid over-fertilizing your hydrangeas. Overfertilization might cause the roots to dry and sometimes cause the death of hydrangeas. Overfertilization might also cause some environmental implications.

How To Fix:

Make sure you add fertilizer to your hydrangeas in the late winter or early spring and a few more times after that by keeping an interval. Fertilizers can be slow-release, timed-release, and fast-release. You can add fast-release once or twice a year, while timed-release needs to be added a few times a year. Likewise, add fast-release fertilizers in March, May, and July.

• Aluminum can influence the color of the flowers in some species of hydrangeas, like bigleaf hydrangea.
• Too much nitrogen might make your hydrangeas green but without any flowers.
• Watering hydrangeas before adding fertilizer increases its effectiveness.

As we discussed previously, most hydrangeas grow in a well-drained soil. Thus, the water will not stay in such soil for too long as it rapidly percolates into the groundwater table. That is why hydrangeas need a water supply at least three times a week.

When the hydrangeas dehydrate, their petals start to fade, and their leaves droop down. Make sure you provide an adequate amount of water and do not over-water them in such cases. 

How to Fix:

You should avoid watering hydrangeas directly over the flowers with a hose. Even the flowers of hydrangeas hold moisture and watering them directly to the flowers makes them vulnerable to rot and fungal infection, so, water from the base of the plant. Irrigating below the leaves will ensure that the roots will get water and prevent them from getting fungal infections.

You can use a drip irrigation system to provide constant moisture without logging the soil with water and make sure you water in the morning.

Hydrangeas need pruning regularly to produce blossoms. Some species of hydrangeas might require more pruning while some might require little to no pruning at all. 

Pruning in hydrangeas is influenced by the flowers blooming on either a new wood or an old old. If the flower blooms on the old wood, like that of bigleaf, oakleaf, climbing, and mountain hydrangeas, it requires no pruning. If pruning needs to be done, you need to do it after they bloom. If the flower blooms on the new wood, like that in the panicle hydrangeas or smooth hydrangeas, annual pruning is necessary.

How To Fix:

The pruning of hydrangeas depends on their type. Most of the time, pruning needs to be done in late winter or early spring.

Pruning in the late summer when the flowers fade away might be a perfect time for most hydrangeas. However, hydrangeas like ,pannicle and smooth hydrangeas can be pruned in early spring or late winter.

As I previously mentioned, hydrangeas grow in very porous soil, and water and nutrients rapidly drain away. Without adequate moisture and nutrients, hydrangea cannot grow properly which affects its blooming.

 Therefore, hydrangeas require appropriate mulching. Mulching can reduce the rate of evaporation of soil moisture and also retain moisture and nutrients for some time and play an important role in hydrangeas' growth and development. 

How To Fix:

You can mulch by adding shredded or chopped plant materials. You can also make a cage from fine mesh wire and fill it with mulch. This will provide hydrangeas with protection from the harsh winter climate.

Make sure your mulch is made from pest-free and disease-free plant materials, otherwise, this will spread diseases in your hydrangeas. You might use shredded pine and sawdust as mulch too as they repel some pests like snails.

Most hydrangeas are resistant to pests and disease. But still, you need to control them if your hydrangeas are exposed to them.

Pests like aphids, slugs, snails, beetles, etc. are some common pests of hydrangeas. In addition, hydrangeas might suffer from different fungal diseases like black spot disease from time to time, which will affect their blooming.

How to Fix:

You can manage some of the pests like snails or slugs by manually removing them or using insecticide spray that completely removes these pests. Beetles can be repelled by using soap water or essential oil spray. Using natural means for the control of pests is recommended.

You can use fungicides to treat fungal diseases like green spots, brown spots, and yellow spot disease. Sometimes you just need to make sure that there is no water logging in hydrangeas, and ensure that they are not kept in too much shade.

Although some hydrangeas grow in chilly environments most of them grow in areas that are mild and warm. Cold temperatures and frost might kill the buds and the flowers of hydrangeas in the winter. So, extra care is needed for such species of hydrangeas.

Freezing environmental conditions will expand the buds, which might result in complete damage. Thus, it is crucial to protect the buds of hydrangeas from cold temperatures, frost, and wind. 

How to Fix:

Mulching can help the plant to resist cold and frost to some extent. You can also provide a cover to the plant with heavy paper or a cloth, but do not use plastics to cover your plant as it might do more harm than benefits. Mulching is very effective to protect hydrangeas from cold and frost in the winter.

You should also avoid pruning your hydrangea before winter as this might make your plants susceptible to cold and frost and consequently kill them.

Good air circulation is needed in hydrangeas to ensure their well-being as inadequate air circulation is known to cause several fungal diseases like blackspot, and powdery mildew in hydrangeas. This also wilts the leaves and restricts the growth of the flower.

The movement of air also helps to circulate carbon dioxide enhancing photosynthesis. Moreover, this will aid in the development of new buds and flower growth.

How To Fix: 

You need to make sure that hydrangeas in your garden are not crowded or over lap with each other. You need to maintain an appropriate distance when planting hydrangeas and periodically trim or prune them.

Like all plants, hydrangea will use its energy to maintain its dead flowers or other parts. This will cause unnecessary usage of the hydrangeas' energy. Therefore, removing dead parts of the plant will redirect its energy into building new buds and blooming new flowers.

In addition, different disease-causing pests and bacteria thrive in dead parts of the plant. Removing the dead parts of the hydrangeas will reduce the spread of diseases and pests and also enhance their overall appearance. 

How To Fix:

You need to identify which parts of the hydrangeas are dead or dying. Then locate where to cut by marking near the healthier parts of the plant which can encourage the growth of new buds.

You can use a sharp sterile scissor or pruner to make a clean cut. Keep in mind that you cannot use the dead parts of the plant for mulching as it might spread diseases to healthier hydrangeas, so you need to dispose of them securely; burning might be a good option if you have the incinerator and the space.