How to Select Good Hydrangea Plants

New hydrangea hybrids provide a shrub for almost every location.

Every spring, garden centers seduce customers into purchasing plants that they've never grown. When it comes to plants that are more expensive than a flat of petunias, though, it pays to read the tag carefully and ask some questions of the nurseryman before buying. Hydrangeas, for example, provide dozens of cultivars suited to a variety of climates and locations. Careful choice ensures the success of this old-fashioned favorite for years to come.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

1. Buy plants from a local nursery. Plants have been grown where they will succeed and sales people know their stock. Most Hydrangea arborescens and H. paniculata cultivars are hardy in the Upper Midwest, but H. macrophyllas, the pretty blue and pink mopheads, prefer Southern climes.

2. Find a plant that matches conditions in your yard. Hydrangeas prefer afternoon shade in the South, but H. arborescens will grow in full sun in the North. H. quercifolia, oakleaf hydrangea, grows well in woodland settings where soil may be drier because of competition with tree roots.

3. Chose container-grown plants with bright green leaves -- all the better if they have a few blooms. You can see how what the plant will look like and ensure that it is as the tag describes it.

4. Look for plants with supple branches that are 2 or 3 years old -- they will have been pruned at least once to force branching. They are more likely to bloom this year.

5. Examine branches and leaves for signs of leaf spot, which appears as black spots, or downy mildew, a cottony mass underneath leaves or where leaves join branches. If you find signs of either disease, move on to unaffected plants.

6. Avoid plants with visible pests including aphids, rose chafers and red spiders. None are fatal, but all affect the overall health of the plant. Do not give these invaders a ride to your garden.

7. Check the hydrangea's soil to find out if it has been watered correctly. Soil should be moist, not bone dry or sodden. Soggy soil might cause root rot.

Tips & Warnings

• Buy plants in spring to give them plenty of time to adjust to their new home.

• Unless you know your hydrangea types and cultivars, avoid buying from plant catalogs. Hardiness claims may be optimistic and cultural requirements over-general.

References

• Hydrangeas, Hydrangeas; Which Hydrangeas Will Bloom Best in My Area?; Judith King
• Auburn University Extension; Hydrangea; Kerry Smith
• University of Illinois Extension; Not Your Grandmother's Hydrangea; 2011
• Purdue University Extension; Hydrangea Popular, Yet Confusing; B. Rosie Lerner; 2010
• Hionis Greenhouses: Hydrangea Facts