By Jim Midcap
University of Georgia
Many gardeners enjoy the blue flowers of the summer-flowering
hydrangeas. Vigorous plants become covered with large mopheads of
blooms. Established plants seem to bloom forever.
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However, some of us just can’t seem to get any flowers at all.
One year a late frost will blacken all the swollen flower buds on
the ends of the stems. With all the buds killed, there will be no
flowers this year.
The next year we covered the plants several times to protect them
from the cold. Everything was looking good, with new leaves and
fat flower buds, until a deer stopped by for a snack. She snipped
off every branch tip. And there went this year’s crop of blooms.
Aha!
Now, I have a solution to these problems. I’ve planted several
remontant, or reflowering, hydrangeas. These big-leafed
hydrangeas bloom on new growth as well as old wood.
When the weather kills the tender new buds and the flowers
inside, the new growth will produce new flowers. Any time the
flower buds are killed or removed by feeding or pruning, the new
growth produces flowers. Removing the old flowers as they fade
will help to keep flowers coming all summer and fall.
It’s nice to have hydrangeas blooming in the fall.
Several hydrangea selections are remontant. Endless Summer and
Penny Mac are the best known and are readily available. Both will
have blue flowers when planted in our acidic soils, where there
is lots of aluminum.
The flowers can change to pink when the pH is increased with lime
or when grown in containers, where the mix is low in aluminum.
Proper care
These big-leafed hydrangeas do best when grown in partial shade.
Protection from the hot afternoon sun will help prevent wilting.
Keep the plants moist and fertilized to keep producing new growth
and new flowers.
Hydrangeas need protection from feeding deer. Some of the newer
deer repellents seem to work when applied as recommended.
Remontant hydrangeas can be pruned in spring for shape and after
the first flush of blooms to control size. They’re well-adapted
to container plantings for partial shade. In large containers,
they can be combined with annuals and perennials to create
decorative pots of plants that flower all season long.
Using remontant hydrangeas in shady borders, beds or containers
is sure to increase your enjoyment of the garden. Having
hydrangea blooms from early summer until frost is guaranteed to
reward your hard work and intrigue your gardening friends.
(Jim Midcap is an Extension Service horticulturist with the
University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences.)
