Please help ID

Here is a hydrangea that grows in my yard. It gets probably more sun then it would like. And it defiantly does not have enough soil. I have to water it 2-3 times a day in the summer. Despite all that, It is beautiful this year. Last year I had 4-5 blooms because my fiance cut it back in the fall with out asking if he should first! This year he left it alone and didn't pick up the trimmers. I would like to know what type it is, if anyone can help.

Also, I have a shady to spotted shady area that I would like to put a couple different fun variety's in, maybe a pink, purple, blue... I'm in zone 6. I also was wondering if these are dividable, and when the proper time to trim or how much you are supposed to take off.

The whole bush, this was taken last week. The blooms have doubled in size, more of them, and are now a bit bluer.

Todays look at the whole bush

How blue they have become.

No one?? I'm thinking a basic variety?

It's a Hydrangea macrophylla. I'm not sure if you'll get anything more specific than that--since flower colors vary with soil pH it can be very difficult to ID hydrangeas down to the cultivar level.

You're going to have to put a little effort in if you want purple or pink hydrangeas--since this one is so very blue that tells me your soil is pretty acidic, so you'll have to add lime to your soil to make the pH higher if you want something pink.

Thanks, I actually added oyster shells. Some one told me to do that... I work at an Oyster Bar.

Did you crush the shells up at all or just add them as-is? I think they will have more effect on the soil pH if they're crushed. Since your flowers are still very blue it tells me you've got a ways to go pH-wise before you're going to see pink or even purple color (unless you just added them of course--it can take some time before the pH change shows up in the flowers if you adjust once they're already blooming)

Yeah, I was a big dummy and didn't think to crush them. Someone else asked me when I told them and I felt like an idiot... I added them in the spring. Next year I will crush them, and add more, I only put in 6. I would like them deep blue.

If you want your hydrangeas to be blue then I wouldn't add the shells--assuming you add enough to have any effect (6 shells probably wouldn't do much even if they were crushed), they will raise your soil pH and make your flowers pink. You had mentioned in your very first post about wanting purple and pink so that's why I was suggesting you'd need to raise your pH, but if you want to keep them blue then I'd leave things alone.

It looks very happy there, blupit007, but why do you water so much? It sounds like an awful lot! Be careful with this because it could cause root rot. Do you know how much water you give it per each watering? I would add 3-4" of mulch up to the dripline. This may reduce the amount of water you use per watering and-or the frequency. While sandy soil may require more water, 2-3 times a day sounds like a lot. Try mulching to reduce this somewhat. My summer temps are much higher than yours but I water about every 3 days apart and only once a day.

So I watered because it wilts every day... I thought it is a water issue because the last owner of the house planted it in the worst spot. There is about a foot of soil before a big rock shelf! That is why I watered it so much. But then after watering with no response, I realized that it is not the lack of water, but the intense afternoon sun it doesn't like! It's too big to move! And lately we have been getting triple digit heat!!

As long as you love it you can take cuttings (maybe when the sun goes down a bit) and root them so you can plant the cuttings (after they've rooted) in a place better suited to the hydrangea - out of the full hot sun.

Take cuttings as soon as possible - not in August.

I took one cutting a month ago to practice with my hibiscus cuttings. I have never done any. And it has new growth on it. Looks really good, so hopefully it will live and I can plant it in the spot I really want this plant to be in.

Is this a hardy hibiscus?

No, I took a cutting from the hydrangea to give me practice. I will be making cuttings of my hibiscus, but hear they are not as easy. So that is what I meant.