We just relocated from Phoenix to Leawood, KS and I am truly thrilled at the chance to grow something other than desert plants for a change. I love hydrangeas and am hoping I can grow them here. Any suggestions? Your advice is most appreciated!
Will Hydrangeas grow in Eastern Kansas?
Hello from Nebraska, just a little north of you but also in zone 5.
Yes, hydrangeas do well in zone 5, and you should start seeing them appearing at nurseries and home centers. Varieties of H. quercifolia, H. paniculata, H. macrophylla and H. arborescens should do good in your area, among others.
Two things to remember - the types that do best here are those that bloom on new wood, those that bloom on previous years growth tend to get frost damage on the flower buds and blooming can be spotty. Also, the variety 'Endless Summer', which you should see a lot of in stores (it is a child of a old wood blooming variety that actually blooms on new wood), requires a little more shade and more water than most types, for me it's always the first (or only) to wilt on hot sunny days.
Thank you, Cybrczch. I bought a couple at Costco today. It does not specify the variety but does advise putting them in indirect light and keeping 'em moist. They are gorgeous now & I'm willing to give it a shot...we'll see :)
If it's a Hydrangea macrophylla that blooms on old wood then you'll need to protect it over the winter if you want it to bloom the following year, in your zone if you don't protect these then the buds tend to freeze over the winter. Given where you bought it and the fact that wasn't identified, I'm about 99% sure it's one of these. The ones that bloom on new wood like 'Endless Summer' are patented and wouldn't be sold without identification. And I doubt if Costco would carry the other species like quercifolia, arborescens, or paniculata which also bloom on new wood and would do fine for you. Also, if it's one that's blooming now and was in the houseplant section, it's probably one of the florist type hydrangeas which don't always do as well in the garden as the ones that you would find with the outdoor plants at a nursery. I'm not sure of all the reasons for this, I think they're bred differently with more of a focus on big gorgeous blooms, but not on the things that will make them do well in the garden. So by all means try it in the garden, but if it doesn't do as well as you hoped, please don't give up on hydrangeas--there are others that could do well for you even if this one doesn't.