With Hydrangea’s, you bring a feast of colour to your garden all summer long. It is a beautiful shrub that flowers very abundantly with fantastic flowers. Hydrangea’s thrive in both sun and shade and require little maintenance. It is a favourite garden plant for a reason! But did you know that there are as many as 20 different species of Hydrangea? Each with lots of cultivars. Five varieties are the most commonly used and will do great in your garden.
Common Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla)
This is the most common Hydrangea. The macrophylla cultivars can be divided into types with large mophead flowers, and types with lace-cap flowers. Go for the mophead Flair & Flavours® Raspberry Lemonade and you will be spoilt with flowers in a fresh raspberry red colour.
Mountain hydrangea (Hydrangea serrata)
This Hydrangea species has striking lace-cap flowers. The leaves of serrata species often have a lovely autumn colour. Our favourites are Flair & Flavours® Frozen Smoothie, with blue/pink flowers all along the stem, and Flair & Flavours® Blueberry Cheesecake, with a lovely yellow heart and purple-blue flowers.
Panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata)
The large cone-shaped flowers are mostly white or light green. Depending on the cultivar, the flowers gradually undergo a spectacular colour change during summer. Changing from white to green, pink and fiery red. With their strong, woody branches, paniculata cultivars grow a little taller than most other Hydrangeas. We are fans of Lime Light Prime®, which flowers change colour from lime green to pink/red.
Wild / smooth hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens)
Arborescens varieties are very hardy and can withstand warmer climates. You often see them as flowering hedges. Most cultivars used to have white flowers, but breeding by Proven Winners® has produced other great flower colours. For example, the flowers Pink Annabelle® have a unique pink colour. If you are looking for a arborescens variety with white flowers, check out Strong Annabelle® with its strong branches or the small-sized BellaRagazza® Blanchetta.
Oakleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia)
An unusual species, with leaves that resemble oak leaves. In autumn they put on a spectacular show with orange to burgundy leaf colours. The flowers of quercifolia species are white or green and turn red or pink during summer. Gatsby® Pink is extra fast: the flowers often turn from white to pink within 10 days.