Yes, you can plant that hydrangea in the sun. Really, a hydrangea in the sun, are you sure? They all ask..but you can, IF it’s a panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata). These are the hydrangeas with large, usually white, football-shaped flowers. They flower later than the traditional big leaf “mophead’ hydrangeas, (Hydrangea macrophylla). Don’t get me wrong, I love the large round flower-heads of the blue and pink big leaf hydrangeas, but I see the value of the tough yet beautiful panicle-types as well.
The leaves of panicle hydrangeas are more elliptical or ovate opposed to the rounded leaves of the traditional big leaf hydrangea. They grow very large, up to 10 feet high in some areas. It is probably the most cold-hardy hydrangea species. Because of its large size it can be trained as a small tree. It is also fast growing. Most varieties are white while some, such as ‘Lime Light,’ have a light green tint to the flowers. The flowers are pyramidal panicles approximately 6 to 8” long and are long lasting on the plant. They also make great cut flowers!
How to Grow Panicle Hydrangeas
The plants prefer good loamy, moist, well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade. They will bloom through the summer until September. Remove spent blooms when they turn brown.. Unlike Big leaf hydrangeas, panicle hydrangea bloom on new wood can be pruned in winter or early spring. Because they bloom on new wood, you will always have flowers, regardless of what happens to it during the winter.
Popular Panicle Hydrangea Varieties
A beautiful variety of panicle hydrangea is ‘White Wedding.’ This was a introduced by Buddy Lee, the creator of Encore Azaleas. He is one of the most respected plant breeders and horticulturalists in North America, with over 30 years’ experience in nursery management, breeding, propagation and new plant development. ‘White Wedding’ has stronger stems than many other panicle hydrangea and therefore holds the flower heads upright and all over the plant. It is also a manageable size, growing only 4-6’ tall and 3-5’ wide.
You can see ‘White Wedding’ in all her glory at the MAST Arboretum on the SFA campus. I highly recommend you take a stroll (despite the heat) to see this show-stopper bloom in the hot sun.
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