Growing Hydrangea In Western Nebraska

The hardiest varieties of hydrangea for western Nebraska is the Paniculata Hydrangea. Easy to grow even for the beginner gardener. They can handle Partial Sun at least 4 Hrs. of bright sun or Full Sun 6 Hrs. or more. Very adaptable to most soils, but good drainage is a must. Soils that are too wet lead to root rot, so avoid planting them in any area that stays wet for any length of time.

Aside from that, any average soil in your landscape will do. They can even grow in clay soil, provided it is well-drained. They are tolerant of a range of pH levels, from acidic to alkaline, so unless you live in an area of extreme soil pH, you should not need to make any changes to successfully grow panicle hydrangeas. 

Panicle hydrangeas bloom on new wood. They create their flower buds for the year only after they’ve begun to leaf out in spring. This means that they can be pruned without negatively impacting their bloom. Though pruning is not strictly necessary, it encourages stronger stems, better blooming, and an overall more attractive shape. If you are starting with a very small plant keep pruning to minimum until it has had the chance to develop some good body.

“Panicle” describes the shape of the blooms you can think of them as a football-shape and size. They bloom in summer. The flowers start out white, but as summer stretches on and days start to get shorter and nights cooler, they start to take on pink to red tones. Color depends on the variety, and some varieties turn a new color entirely, while some will do so gradually, producing a multi-color shaded effect. If the flowers color turns muddy, that typically indicates the plant is in too much shade and/or that temperatures, and particularly night time temperatures, have been too high.

The blooms color shift is a genetic trait that develops with the natural aging of the cells in the florets, and is not influenced by any condition in the soil, like pH level. You can’t change panicle hydrangeas’ color by treating with aluminum sulfate or planting in acidic soil – they will always stay in the pink/red range.

Prune panicle hydrangeas in late fall, once the plant has gone completely dormant (i.e., Its leaves have all fallen off and it has been without foliage for a minimum of 14 days.),  or early spring, just as the new growth begins to emerge. Aim to cut the plant back by about one-third its total height; in other words, if it is 6’ tall, cut off about 2’. You should also cut off any thin, spindly stems and side branches. If you have a panicle hydrangea tree (also known as a standard or tree-form hydrangea), 

Some of our favorite Panicle Hydrangea 

• Limelight (6-8’ tall and 5-6’ wide)

• Pinky Winky (6-8’ tall and wide)

• BoBo (3-4’ tall and wide)

• Fire Light (6' - 8' tall and 6' - 8' wide)

• Little Lime Punch (3' - 5' tall and 3' - 5' wide)