nature, Photography

Panicle Hydrangeas

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Tis the season for panicle hydrangeas; they tend to bloom in late summer and well into autumn.

The word “panicle” means “loose cluster,” which I think is an appropriate description for these pretty flowers.

Usually, panicle hydrangeas grow to about 2-3 metres (8 ft) and the blooms will turn some shade of pink or light red. They are the hardiest hydrangeas and will tolerate extremes of heat and cold.

It’s lovely that these plants extend the blooming season into the autumn. Although they do not change colour due to soil chemistry, shifting temperatures trigger these plants to transition from creamy white to pink or red.

Happy Thursday.

27 thoughts on “Panicle Hydrangeas”

  1. I’ve never been fond of Hydrangeas. Up until now the only ones I’ve been aware of looked like popcorn balls and turn brown very quickly. These and one other species someone shared that was a deep purple are changing my mind. Maybe I’ll see if we have a spot for these.
    Happy Thursday, Lynette!

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    1. Thank you, Steve. There are many varieties, including the ones that look like giant snowballs or popcorn balls. Some grow tall (like the panicles) or are low-lying bushes whose blooms will change colour depending on soil acidity. The intensely deep blue or purple ones are my favourites as well (these are usually the ones that can change colour); they normally last well if watered properly. I find them interesting because there is so much variation, even within a season. Cheers.

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    1. I very much like that about these and I’ve seen them blooming well into October as the dropping temperatures don’t bother them. The round white ones always remind me a bit of Alice in Wonderland – such a giant bloom balanced on a delicate stalk!

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    1. You’re welcome. There are a lot of them in the parks and they are also used in landscaping quite a bit around hotels, etc. They do well in this capacity because of their height. It’s so nice to see such a lovely late bloomer.

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  6. Just lovely, and you answered my questions as if you were in my head. I see a lot of these around my neighborhood. I’m still trying to figure out what to plant on the side of my garage. The problem is, there isn’t a lot of sunlight on that side. It’s the only shaded part of the house for most of the day. We only have the lawn lining the garage there. Are these okay in shade? If not, any suggestions?

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    1. Hi Lori, you could consider climbing, lacecap, mountain and mophead hydrangeas as all are quite shade tolerant. The climbers could be pretty on your garage wall. Any shade tolerant plant you put there will need at least some sun, though. Is the garage wall north facing?

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      1. Thanks, Lynette. It’s difficult to explain how the house & garage are laid out. Yes, the side of the garage pretty much faces north and maybe a tiny bit west. I’ll put a link to one of my blog posts at the bottom with pictures. It’s when we first got our patio, so there are pictures of it being built. The one where it is finished (with 2 workers in it) shows the side of the house and garage.

        In the picture along the side of the house where it’s empty, I now have hostas mixed in with begonias and roses. The sun doesn’t reach that side of the house until around 3pm in the summer, but the flowers and hostas do great there. Where you see the door at the end of the walkway, that’s the garage. So, the garage sticks out farther than the side of the house and there is a tree that covers a lot of the sun over there (you can its shade in the grass in the pic). I’m not sure it would get more than an hour or two of sun. But maybe more. 🤷‍♀️

        Half full

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        1. Thanks for all the detail, Lori. I think I have a sense of the positioning now. I believe you would have enough sunlight, especially if your begonias, roses and hostas are already doing well there. As well, the picture showing the two workers also indicates to me that you would have enough sun. If the sun arrives at 3 pm you should be good. The hydrangeas only need about an hour or two. I can’t be completely sure but I would say that that’s pretty good location for mophead hydrangeas. Too bad I can’t help you go shopping for some and plant them together – it would be a lot of fun (with a glass of wine after 🙂). Good luck with your planting; autumn is a good time for it. Cheers.

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