The smooth hydrangeas (H. arborescens), such as 'Annabelle', are another group of low growing shrubs for the front of the house worth growing. Their blooms are globe shaped rather than being panicle shaped. Summersweet Clethra is a must-have if you love summer blooms.
Panicle hydrangeas are among the most reliably blooming and cold-tolerant hydrangeas available to today's gardeners.
Yet one type of hydrangea can soak up the sun all day: the panicle hydrangea. While they can stand the sun, these do just fine in partial shade, too. Plus, panicle hydrangeas are the hardiest hydrangeas.
Panicle hydrangeas are a fantastic choice for adding late-season interest to your garden. As other plants start to fade, panicle hydrangeas burst into bloom, stealing the spotlight with their showy panicles of flowers. Their long-lasting flowers persist well into the fall, extending the beauty of your garden.
Best Types of Hydrangea for Low-Maintenance
Elegant oakleaf is one of the easiest types of hydrangea to grow. It's also one of the showiest, thanks to its big clusters of white summertime flowers, attractive peeling bark, and textured foliage that turns brilliant shades of purple-red in fall.
'All Summer Beauty' macrophylla blooms on both old and new wood, stunning blue mophead hydrangea that blooms all summer long. Hydrangeas traditionally bloom on “old wood”, meaning last year's growth but 'All Summer Beauty' is one of a new breed that reblooms on the current year's growth as well!
“If you are familiar with the classic white Annabelle hydrangea, you'll love Incrediball hydrangea,” she says. “It has massive white blooms held up on sturdy stems, so they don't flop over.”
Old Wood Bloomers
Hydrangeas that bloom on old wood do not need pruning and are better off for it. If you leave them alone, they'll bloom more profusely the next season. But go ahead and gently thin or deadhead. Just remember new growth may come, but that new growth will be without blooms next season.
Mophead Hydrangeas | Hydrangea macrophylla. These are the most popular bigleaf hydrangea. Many recognize these due to their large flower heads that are purple, blue and pink. In general, mophead and lacecap leaves are relatively thick and crisp, somewhat shiny, and often heart-shaped.
The most common type of hydrangea is a Bigleaf, or French hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla). These are categorized in mophead (big puffy balls), lacecap (similar to mophead but with tiny buds in the center) and mountain (similar to lacecap, but extremely cold hardy with smaller blooms).
Shrubs directly in front of the dwelling should mature at a height low enough that they will never block windows, while taller specimens should be set far enough out from the house that their branches won't run into the gutters later.
Most common hydrangeas prefer a partial sun location - ideally receiving sun in the morning hours and shade in the afternoon.
Hydrangeas do not require strict reqular pruning; simply keep them healthy by removing dead wood and they will grow and flower well.
If you don't prune hydrangeas then they can eventually resemble a tangled mass of woody stems, and the flowers will become smaller and less showy.
Deadheading your hydrangeas isn't a care step you want to skip. "Deadheading allows the energy produced by the plant to go into the leaves, stems, and roots (rather than forming seeds) for future growth," says Melinda Myers, a professional gardener.
Shade-Loving Hydrangeas
Annabelle, Invincibelle, and Incrediball are three hydrangeas that perform well in mostly shaded sites.
However, stop deadheading hydrangea shrubs in mid to late fall, leaving any spent blooms in place. This not only provides winter interest, but also ensures you don't remove the buds that will become flowers next spring.
Endless Summer Hydrangeas live up to their name, blooming massive pink or blue mophead flowers on both old and new wood all summer long.
Bigleaf is divided into two flower types – lacecap and mophead. Both are among the most heat-tolerant hydrangeas, although mophead prefers a bit more shade. Panicle hydrangea (H. paniculata) – Panicle hydrangea is one of the most sun tolerant hydrangeas.
Hydrangea blossoms are at their best when they are well watered and well fed. Mulch also provides an evaporation barrier. Keeping your soil moist in the heat of the summer, which is also the flowering season for hydrangeas, will help to maintain the healthiest version of your plant.