Do Hydrangeas Need Full Sun or Shade to Grow Best? (2024)

FAQs

Do Hydrangeas Need Full Sun or Shade to Grow Best? ›

Most common hydrangeas prefer a partial sun location - ideally receiving sun in the morning hours and shade in the afternoon. The reblooming Endless Summer® Hydrangea series prefers part shade. These include BloomStruck®, Endless Summer®, Blushing Bride®, and Twist-n-Shout®.

The best location is one that receives morning sun and afternoon shade. If you live further north, they will tolerate more sun (possibly full sun all day). Consider mature size, give it plenty of room to grow. Choose an area with excellent drainage.

Where should you not plant hydrangeas? Hydrangeas should not be planted in USDA hardiness zones 1 and 2 as they won't be able to tolerate the colder climate. Hydrangeas also should not be planted under trees because there will be too much root competition and lack of sun for these plants to adequately thrive.

This is because hydrangeas love the warm morning sun, but they dislike the heat of the afternoon. The best place to plant hydrangeas is in a sheltered location with sunny mornings and shady afternoons. You often find this on the north or south side of your home.

Hydrangeas are classified as plants that need a lot of water. This is both true and false. Yes, they need a lot of water while they are becoming established. They are not considered drought tolerant plants, so they will always need some supplemental watering where other shrubs and perennials may not.

While hydrangeas can grow successfully in a large container for several years, at some point they will need to be transplanted into a larger container or into the garden if you want to keep them healthy.

“The best time to plant hydrangeas is in the fall because the conditions are less harsh than in summer, and the plant has all winter to get its roots established,” says LeCompte. “Also, the plant has no leaves and will not be transpiring or losing moisture.”

We spaced each limelight hydrangea about 3 feet apart (center of plant to center of plant), starting about 3 feet away from our house. I chose limelights because after researching many different options, limelights promised the quickest growth, and the least amount of maintenance.

The best place to plant the majority of Hydrangeas is going to be in a spot that has good drainage, morning sun, and afternoon shade. Hydrangeas can play many roles in your landscape. Most hydrangeas bloom in spring and summer depending on your growing zone. Some can reach heights of 15 feet or higher.

In warmer areas, many hydrangea types will suffer in the afternoon's scorching sun. The leaves and flower heads may burn, turning brown. If you notice this, that means your hydrangea is getting too much sun. Try moving it into filtered shade, or an area where it gets only a few hours of morning sun.

Do hydrangeas like coffee grounds? ›

Which plants like coffee grounds? Especially plants that like acidic soil are very happy with coffee grounds. For example, your beautiful hydrangeas, your radiant roses, the lawn or the lavender bushes, but also the gardenia, chamomile and rhododendrons.

Plant panicle hydrangeas in all-day sun or afternoon sun. Water them during a drought, especially if you notice wilting. Add plenty of organic matter (such as compost) around the plant. Limit any drastic pruning to early spring, just before new growth emerges.

From their high-maintenance needs (to keep them from wilting) to their challenges in space and transplantation, caring for hydrangeas can be exhausting even for experienced gardeners. Adding to this list of problems is their vulnerability to pests, which can compromise the plant's health and visual appeal.

Hydrangeas are beautiful, flower-producing shrubs that have broad, flat green leaves and a large flower bunch that can come in a variety of colors, including pink, red, blue, purple, and white. All parts of the hydrangea plant—including the buds, flowers, leaves, and stems—can cause toxicity in dogs, cats, and horses.

Not all plants pair well with hydrangeas. Here are some combinations to avoid: Sunflower prefers full sun and hotter conditions than hydrangeas, which require some shade. Lavender is a sun-loving perennial that performs best in dry conditions and leaner soil, so will not thrive near hydrangeas.

1) It washes all the dirt off their petals, it's amazing how much dirt comes off – the water is always murky after the soaking. 2) Soaking rehydrates the flowers. Any bit of wilting is cured. 3) Soaking helps to fluff up the blooms, especially the hydrangeas shipped in from South America.

As rapid growers—averaging about 2 feet of growth per year—larger varieties of hydrangeas can reach up to 15 feet tall. Applicable in growing zones 3 to 9, hydrangeas are a low-maintenance plant that, with proper care, will return year after year.

Note that hydrangeas planted in the shade tend to grow a little larger and spread a little more. When planting hydrangeas, dig a hole that is twice as wide as the width of the container the hydrangea came in.

Most hydrangeas prefer only morning sun. 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.