Five Panicle Hydrangeas for Your Garden

If you don’t want to wait until midsummer to see blooms on your panicle hydrangeas, try growing dwarf hyrangea Little Quick Fire. It starts flowering in early summer, almost a month before most others. The flower panicles start out creamy white, then quickly change to deep pink during the warm summer months, rather than delaying the change until fall like most panicle hydrangeas.

Blooms Creamy white flowers in early summer that mature to pink Light Full sun to part shade Size 3 to 5 ft. tall and wide Hardiness Cold hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8

The fluffy flower heads of Vanilla Strawberry are packed with sterile florets. They start out nearly white and soon blush bright pink. In the photo you can see how they create an interesting two-tone effect. By fall, the entire flower head turns strawberry red. Even the strong stems have a red tint.

Blooms Fluffy white panicles that blush bright pink midsummer to early fall Light Full sun to part shade Size 6 to 7 ft. tall, 4 to 5 ft. wide Hardiness Cold hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8

‘Pink Diamond’ is known for its flower color. The buds are a soft pink that open to a white flower. Soon the flowers change to a medium pink before they turn a rich pink hue. While some cultivars come and quickly go, this one has stood the test of time.

Blooms Soft pink to white summer to fall Light Full sun to part shade Size 4 to 6 ft. tall and wide Hardiness Cold hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9

‘Limelight’ produces 6- to 12-inch-tall conical flower heads that are chartreuse — especially in regions where summer temperatures are cool. In hot areas, the flowers turn creamy white. No matter where you live, the flower clusters change to a deep pink as they age. The heads are on strong stems, so they stay upright better than some cultivars.

Blooms Huge clusters of soft green flowers in late summer, blooms turn pink in fall Light Full sun to part shade Size 6 to 8 ft. tall and wide Hardiness Cold hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9

Think you don’t have room for another shrub? Consider compact hydrangea Bobo. It’s covered all summer long with loads of the large white flowers you see in the photo, on stiff stems. In fall, they blush a soft pink before turning brown for winter.

Blooms Large white flowers in summer to fall Light Full sun Size 3 to 4 ft. tall and wide Hardiness Cold hardy USDA zones 3 to 9