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Hydrangeas are often grown for their stunning blooms. They typically do best in shaded areas. However, there are gardens out there that have a sunny spot waiting for these bright blooms to be planted there. Here we welcome the Hydrangea paniculata, or panicle hydrangea.
These types of hydrangea are the answer to all sunny gardeners’ dreams! These cone-shaped flowers are ideal for anyone who has a brightly lit garden and wants a reliable bloom every year. They can thrive in sunny conditions, and come in many different colors.
Panicles have become increasingly popular in gardens over the last decade. As some of the most adaptable of their kind, they can thrive even in poorer quality soil. From planting to growing and maintenance, let’s dig into everything you need to know about panicle hydrangeas!
Panicle Hydrangea Plant Overview
Plant Type Flowering Shrub Season Summer into Fall Pests Aphids, Deer, Japanese Beetles Family Hydrangeaceae Exposure Full sun to Partial Shade Diseases Fungal Genus Hydrangea | Maturity Date 2-4 years Maintenance Low Species paniculata Growth Rate Fast Native Area Asia Soil Type Well-draining Plant Spacing Variety Dependent, 2-12 feet | Attracts Pollinators Hardiness Zone USDA 3-9 Plant With Sun-loving Perennials Planting Depth Container Depth Watering Requirements Moderate Don’t Plant With N/A Height 2-15 feet |
What is a Panicle Hydrangea?
Hydrangea paniculata or the panicle hydrangea is the sunseeker of the hydrangea family. These shrubs are native to the cooler regions of Asia. They gained popularity in the Victorian era and have taken off ever since. The cultivation of panicle hydrangeas has given us endless varieties to choose from that will suit any need we may have in our garden.
Their flowers are very large and football-shaped. The overall panicle flower is made up of many smaller branches with flowers at the end of each, resulting in a large showstopping bloom.
Why Choose Them Over Other Varieties?
Panicle hydrangeas are the perfect choice for a full sun or morning sun garden space. If your gardens are full of sun you may not have had the opportunity to grow hydrangeas before- well here is your chance! This species of hydrangea is also one of the hardiest around and will grow happily in USDA zones 3-8.
Panicles can also be pruned into a tree form, offering even more options for this plant within your garden. All varieties of panicles can be trained into a tree form. This takes a lot of time and patience, but it can be done at home if you are up for it! They are also available at garden centers.
The tree forms are exactly what they sound like, one strong main leader has been chosen to serve as the trunk of the tree while shoots and other branches are trimmed yearly until the desired look has been achieved.
Propagating
Propagating panicles can be easily done by taking softwood cuttings in the early summer months of May, June, or July. These cuttings can be dipped in a rooting hormone and stuck into a sand and peat mixture with great success.
Planting
Panicles have become increasingly popular over the last few years. Because of this, they are easy to find at most garden centers. This sun lover will want to be planted in full sun to partial shade in your garden.
Some varieties of Hydrangea paniculata can be quite large. Be sure to take note of the nursery tag and plant this shrub in an area with the appropriate amount of space. As with most hydrangeas, panicles love well-draining and fertile soil.
Adding compost to your soil at the time of planting is a great way to increase the richness of your soil.
How to Grow
Growing a panicle is similar to growing just about any other type of hydrangea. The difference comes down to their tolerance for less than perfect soil, and full sun conditions. Let’s take a deeper look at each aspect that you’ll need to know about before growing panicles this season.
Light
Unlike many of its hydrangea relatives, Hydrangea paniculata loves the sun. It is the only species of hydrangea that benefits from living in the full sun.
While they can survive in shadier conditions, they truly thrive when they are in the sun most of the day. If you live in a warmer climate, afternoon shade during the hottest parts of the day is recommended.
Water
Because they love the sun you may need to water them a bit more frequently than their shade-loving relatives. The good news is that the symptoms of hydrangea dehydration are the same.
If you have panicles that have drooping leaves, then they likely need some additional water. Be sure to give your plants a good soaking a few times a week during the summer, and even more so if you are in the middle of a heat wave.
Soil
Panicles prefer well-draining soil that is kept moist, but not too wet. Soil that is too wet can lead to problems such as root rot. It is best to avoid planting them in an area where they won’t drain well.
Most soil types should be totally fine for growth, as hydrangea paniculata are not picky. They tolerate a range of pH levels, from acidic to alkaline. There shouldn’t be too many changes to make to the soil in which you plan to plant your hydrangeas.
Climate and Temperature
Panicle hydrangeas are very hardy and do well from zones 3-8. The panicle hydrangeas are some of the most cold-tolerant hydrangeas, and lucky for you warm climate gardeners they do equally well in the heat.
Just make sure if you plan on growing them in a hotter climate, that you provide them with a little afternoon shade. Temps that regularly clear 100 degrees may have a little harder time keeping hydrangeas alive if they are planted in full afternoon sun.
Fertilizer
Panicle hydrangeas do not require much in the area of fertilizing. Giving them a feeding of a basic granular fertilizer in the springtime should be enough to get them through the year.
Do not be heavy-handed with your fertilizer. Fertilizing them too frequently can cause the stems to weaken. Weak stems will not be able to hold up the heavy weight of the large flowers and the plant will droop to the ground.
Maintenance
Once your hydrangea is well established in your garden the only maintenance it will require from you is regular watering. You may opt to deadhead them, but this is purely for ornamental purposes. Panicles typically don’t need deadheading like other varieties.
Pruning
Panicle hydrangeas bloom on new wood, meaning that your timing of pruning is a bit more flexible. While it is recommended that pruning is done in the fall after blooming, or in the spring before there is too much new growth, panicles will be tolerant of your pruning no matter when you choose to do it.
If you do miss either of these time windows, just be a bit more cautious and make sure you are not pruning off any new flower buds.
Varieties
There are a few very popular Hydrangea Paniculata varieties, and each of them can do equally well in sunny conditions. Each has their own unique look and color profile. Let’s take a deeper look at some of the more popular panicles.
H. paniculata ‘Fire and Ice’
This is a really nice compact option for a panicle. ‘Fire and Ice’ will only grow to about three feet tall, but will not disappoint in the flower department. As with the rest of the species, these flowers open in a creamy white turning to pink and again to red in the fall. The compact nature of this plant makes it a really nice choice for a foundation planting, or border.
H. paniculata ‘Limelight’
Limelight has proved itself to be a true sun lover that gardeners choose over and over again. This variety can grow from six to eight feet high and wide making Limelight a really great plant for a privacy screen or a hedge. The flowers on Limelight are very large. They begin the season in fresh green and then turn to pink, red, or burgundy and last through the frost.
H. paniculata ‘Pinky Winky’
‘Pinky Winky’ is another gardener’s favorite. This variety has very large flowers that will open white and turn pink from the bottom up as the season progresses. The panicles can grow up to 16 inches long and they will continue to bloom through the first frost.
‘‘Pinky Winky’ is a very pretty grown in a hedge and will provide excellent summertime privacy, it will top out at about eight feet tall. It is also a great option for containers.
H. paniculata ‘Puffer Fish’
For a slight change of pace, ‘Puffer Fish’ will give you a tinge of green in between the shift from white to pink flowers. Growing from three to five feet this is a great medium-sized panicle hydrangea that can be used almost anywhere in your garden.
H. paniculata ‘Tiny Quick Fire’
This is a cute little panicle. ‘Tiny Quick Fire’ is the dwarf version of the popular ‘Quick Fire’. This plant only grows up to be three feet at most, making it perfect for a border along a walkway, or in a foundation planting. The flowers turn from white to pink as the summertime passes by.
Pests
Panicle hydrangeas can fall victim to common hydrangea pests, however, they are tough plants and are not easily taken down. In desperate times you may find deer nibbling on the leaves of your panicle. For the most part, your pests will be of the insect variety. Aphids, beetles, and spider mites are commonly found on all hydrangeas.
You can remove aphids and spider mites by spraying your plant down with a hose, while Japanese beetles can be knocked into a bucket of soapy water by hand. You can also use insecticidal soap to control these pests without harming any pollinators.
Plants that are stressed are targets for insects of all kids. Keeping your plants watered and the area around them clean will help prevent your hydrangeas from becoming stressed.
Diseases
Panicles can struggle with fungal diseases, however, they are typically not too afflicted. Diseases you may find on your panicle hydrangea are: leaf spot, powdery mildew, botrytis blight, and root rot.
To prevent these diseases remove infected leaves from the plant, and keep the soil around the plant free from fallen leaves and weeds.
If needed you can use insecticidal soap to treat any diseased plants you may encounter. Insecticidal soaps are eco-friendly pesticides that have been around for many years. They are available at just about every garden center. The way insecticidal soaps work is either by dehydrating the insect or by suffocating the insect.
Plant Uses
The height of many varieties of Hydrangea paniculata lends itself well to be used in your garden as a privacy screen, or grown in a hedge. These plants can be so large that they work very well as specimen plants throughout your yard.
The smaller varieties would make a really nice shorter hedge, or a nice addition to a foundation planting or border.
Don’t forget about container planting! The low maintenance aspect of panicle hydrangeas makes these plants great options for containers, just be sure that the container you have chosen is large enough to support the plant!
Frequently Asked Questions
I have a panicle hydrangea in the shape of a tree. When should I prune it?
Pruning the tree form of panicle is the same process as pruning the shrub form. Blooming on new wood, these beauties can be pruned in the winter or the springtime.
Hydrangea trees are available at garden centers, but training your hydrangea into a tree form is something you can do at home if you have the patience. You will want to start with a very young plant, or with a cutting you have taken from an existing hydrangea in your yard.
If you are starting with a young plant you will want to choose the strongest and most upright branch to be your leader, then simply snip away all of the other branches. Each spring snip off any new stems that may have grown keeping the leader branch clear.
Also give the main leader a quick haircut, cutting just below a leaf node. This will help the hydrangea to branch out rather than up.
When do they bloom?
Panicle hydrangeas bloom in the mid-summer. In warmer climates they may even begin to bloom in the late spring. Panicle hydrangea flowers will start out white and will change color to different shades of pink or red depending on the variety.
Is there a blue panicle hydrangea?
Unfortunately no. Panicles all reside in the white to pink realm. These whites will change to pink or red later in the season. They are not sensitive to the pH of their soil the way that Hydrangea macrophylla are.
This soil sensitivity is what prevents or encourages the uptake of aluminum by the plant. If your soil pH is low there will be more aluminum available to the plant. The end result being blue flowers.
Are panicles considered evergreen?
Panicles, just like all of the other hydrangeas, are deciduous shrubs. Deciduous shrubs lose their leaves in the winter. Panicle hydrangeas do offer beautiful autumn colored foliage in shades ranging from mahogany to bright red.
If you are seeking a flowering evergreen shrub, Rhododendrons are a great option. They have very similar growing requirements and are very beautiful in their own right.
Final Thoughts
If you have a garden full of sun and have always dreamed of growing hydrangeas this is absolutely the perfect plant for you. Panicle Hydrangeas are low maintenance and are equally as beautiful as their shady relatives! They are perfect for novice gardeners due to their tolerance for harsher conditions, so if this is your first time growing these famous flowering shrubs, panicles are a fantastic place to start!
