Endless Summer hydrangea is a collection of several
Endless Summer® The Original Bigleaf Hydrangea is a reblooming mophead hydrangea with classic Nantucket blue or soft pink flowers, depending on soil pH. Hardy from Zones 4-9, The Original provides season long, incredible color with its ability to bloom on last year's stems and this year's new growth.
What makes Endless Summer different than other bigleaf hydrangeas? Soil: Evenly moist but well-drained soils are best. A 2-3" layer of shredded bark mulch is recommended in all areas, all year round. Pruning: Blooms on old and new wood.
Endless Summer is a series of 5 hydrangeas that were bred for outstanding qualities such as compact size, dense form, phenomenal color, and a long bloom period as well as the ability to bloom on both old and new wood.
Appearance. The Endless Summer Hydrangea is a shrub, growing in a rounded shape. Its dark green leaves range from 4-8 inches long, and its stunning blooms are showy mopheads nearly 8-10 inches in diameter.
"Bigleaf hydrangeas, such as endless summer, should be deadheaded when the first set of flowers sprout from last year's growth in the spring," says Meyers. This eliminates the faded flowers before the next flush appears.
Types of Endless Summer Hydrangeas
The 'Original Bigleaf Hydrangea' was the first re-blooming hydrangea discovered and it remains the most well-known and widespread . Hydrangea macrophylla 'Original Bigleaf Hydrangea' : This variety grows three to five feet tall and wide with blue, purple, or pink blooms.
Six Varieties, Endless Possibilities
Whether it's big, beautiful mophead blooms or silky lacecaps, the Endless Summer® collection offers six unique varieties that continue to raise the bar for reblooming hydrangeas.
The Endless Summer series blooms on both new and old wood, making the plants much more versatile in the landscape. However, if the plants are not properly fertilized in the spring, few if any buds will be produced on the current season's growth.
Fall/Winter Care
Cover the plant with a four-inch layer of organic mulch (wood mulch, leaves, etc.). There is no need to cover all stems to the tip or to cut them back. Covering should be done when fully dormant (around November 30th), or at the same time you would cover perennials in your garden.
Bigleaf hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla) have smaller, ball-shaped blooms that are usually blue or pink but can be white, red, purple, or a mix of colors. Another way to differentiate them is by their woody stem. Endless Summer® Hydrangeas are all bigleaf hydrangeas. Prefer morning sun and afternoon shade.
Endless Summer hydrangeas grow at a moderate rate. They don't grow too slowly or too quickly, and typically reach their mature size in 3 to 5 years. These hydrangeas produce large blooms lasting up to 8 weeks during the summer months.
Glacier Bay is new reblooming hydrangea with white lacecap flowers and black stems. A second new bigleaf hydrangea debuting in 2023 is another compact rebloomer called Glacier Bay that sports pure-white lacecap blooms with nicely contrasting black stems.
Hydrangea paniculata is one of the hardiest species; it thrives in Zones 4-8.
There are a few main reasons that you may not see blooms on your hydrangea bushes: sun exposure, over-watering and over-fertilizing. Endless Summer® hydrangeas prefer morning sun and afternoon dappled shade. If they are planted in full sun, it may be too hot and intense for the blooms to produce.
If your Endless Summer hydrangea is not blooming, this issue is likely caused by one of three problems. Too much shade - Hydrangeas will not bloom if they don't get enough sun. They can't be planted in full sun, but they also shouldn't be planted in full shade.
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.
Yes, you can use many types of all-purpose balanced Miracle-Gro on Endless Summer hydrangeas.
Panicle hydrangeas from Proven Winners are the most reliably blooming, low maintenance, hardy hydrangeas you can grow. Since they bloom on new growth each summer, there is no chance for the flower buds to be damaged by winter cold because they simply haven't been formed yet.
Endless Summer hydrangeas should be planted in a place that receives morning sun and dappled afternoon shade. "The amount of sun they can tolerate depends on the zone," says Mcenaney. "Endless Summer hydrangeas that are planted in zone 4 can tolerate more afternoon sun than those planted in zone 9."
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.
Endless Summer® Hydrangea will grow to be about 4 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 4 feet. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front.