Look for small hydrangeas for small spaces...
Don’t let limited space stop you from growing easy care panicle hydrangeas in your landscape. You can now find smaller scale varieties that are perfect for small spaces, front of the border and containers.
Just give the plants full sun to light shade, moist well-drained soil and sufficient space to reach their mature size. The plants need minimal pruning and will reward you with summer to fall flowers and winter interest.
Enjoy the colorful display as the white cone-shaped flowers fade to pink and eventually brown. Leave the dried flowers in place for a bit of texture in the winter garden.
If you like Limelight’s chartreuse flowers but lack the space for this large shrub, consider its smaller cousin ‘Little Lime’. This four foot tall plant is topped with chartreuse flowers that eventually fade to pink then brown. Use it in the middle or back of a mixed border, as a hedge or low screen.
For an even smaller variety consider ‘Bobo’. It’s 30 to 36 inches tall at maturity and the flowers cover the majority of the stems from tip to ground level. Use these smaller shrubs in the front of the shrub border, among perennials and in any small space garden or container. Its diminutive size won’t overpower nearby plants but its woody framework provides year round structure in the garden.
‘Tiny Tuff-Stuff’™ is a dwarf mountain hydrangea (Hydrangea serrata) growing only 18 to 24” tall and wide. It is a hardy reblooming hydrangea that flowers on old wood and new growth. The lacy flowers are lavender-pink in our alkaline soil and blue in low pH, acidic, soils.
If you are looking for a bit larger panicle hydrangea consider ‘Little Lamb’. This graceful plant grows six feet tall with white blossoms that brighten the garden for a long period of time.
And if space allows add a few of the large panicle hydrangeas that can reach heights of 8 to 10 feet tall. Limelight’s chartreuse blooms age to pink with the color persisting through frost. Pink Diamond’s large cone-shaped flowers start white and fade to pink. Then, end the season with Tardiva panicle hydrangea. The lacy white flowers with pink overtones are sure to brighten the end of the growing season.
At a Glance
Name: Panicle hydrangea varieties (Hydrangea paniculata)
Size: Dwarf varieties 3 to 6’ tall & wide; Medium and Tall varieties 6 to 10’ or taller
Light: Performs best in full sun will tolerate partial shade
Water: Thoroughly whenever top few inches of soil are crumbly and slightly moist, drought tolerant once established
Soil: Moist, Well-drained preferred
Written by, gardening expert, Melinda Myers. Each month Melinda will feature a low maintenance plant perfect for beginning and experienced gardeners looking for attractive easy care plants. Melinda Myers is a nationally recognized gardening expert with more than 30 years of horticulture experience. She is a wealth of knowledge and we are pleased to share Melinda’s Low Maintenance Plant of the Month with you!
