hydrangea that blooms on new and old wood

Any suggestions for one that blooms on old and new wood?

Kathy

I've heard some bad things about the original 'Endless Summer', but there is a series of ones with names like Endless Summer Blushing Bride, etc and I think the other ones in that series are better than the original. There are also ones with names like Forever and Ever (I'm not sure if this is just one plant or if it's also a series) and All Summer (I think this is a series with multiple plants too)

Or you can get away from the macrophyllas and go with any cultivar of H. arborescens (Annabelle is a popular example) or H. paniculata (PG's, Limelight, etc), both species bloom on new wood and are hardier than H. macrophylla. But you sacrifice a bit on the range of flower colors available, they tend to be white or close to white (range is from greenish with 'Limelight' to pinkish (Pinky Winky and probably a few others)

I was looking around for a particular hydrangea that I ordered from Forest Farm but they ran out of, and while I was looking around I ran across this site that separates out which of their hydrangeas do well in zone 5 (which means they bloom on new wood and ought to do fine for you in zone 6) http://www.hydrangeasplus.com/home.php?cat=29

Are you looking specifically for a mop head? What about 'All Summer Beauty?'

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/49159/

Are you looking for a specific color bloom? Annabelle is not a macrophylla (it's hydrangea arborescens), but it has enormous white snowball blooms. It's supposed to be hardy to zone 3-ish, so it should definitely be fine in your zone. I haven't personally tried it, but I know of someone who has one that's simply huge and takes a pretty harsh pruning every year to keep it small enough for her space.

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/48866/

Any color is fine. But I want it to bloom on old wood and new wood. I really like the mop heads. I love the large blooms like granny had.

thanks for all the suggestions - I'll go check out the links now.
Kathy

Hi Kathy -

I don't know if you'll check this, as I'm chiming in late. I'm just outside of Chicago and have both the Endless Summer which is supposed to bloom on old and new wood and also have the Annabelle. I LOVE the Annabelle. I leave them all winter and cut them hard in spring, down to 3 inches or so. Here they grow very quickly and if you love Grandma's mopheads, you'll love this one. Last year was my first full summer since planting both kinds. My Annabelle had huge 4-8" blooms. I put the grow thru cages around them for support and they were gorgeous. I don't cover my Endless Summer since they're SUPPOSED to be hearty. We did get a late frost last summer after they were budding which killed all of the buds. This year I am getting some buds on old wood but nothing impressive like I imagined I'd get. I'm doing the wait and see. Where I don't get buds, I'll trim off. I guess overall so far I'm not that impressed. I'm going to check into Limelight myself for spots where my Butterfly bushes have died. I've seen them last summer in others' yards and they look awesome. They do get big though. Check out Proven Winners website for them.

Thanks for the info and I will start looking for these as they start coming into the home garden centers. I may try Annabelle and see if VA temps work better for her.

Going to bed and will follow up with your suggestion on Proven Winners in the morning.
Kathy

Anabelle is an H. arborescens cultivar, they all bloom on new wood and are much lower-maintenance for colder zones. Any of the cultivars of H. paniculata bloom on new wood too and are also good choices (both of these species are also hardier than H. macrophylla, so they're less trouble than even the reblooming macrophyllas)

Thanks ! I really appreciate your info.
Kathy

ecrane3,

What did you hear bad about 'Endless Summer?' I have had 4 of them, and this is my 3rd year with them. I love mine, but maybe there is something I do not know.

The reason you haven't had trouble is because you live in a warm zone. There were some threads on here last year where a lot of people in colder zones were having trouble with them. I think what happened is that they bloom great on old wood, but they don't bloom nearly as well on new wood as one would think from all the "hype" that surrounded the plant when it was first offered for sale. So for you in zone 8 you won't notice any problems since the blooms on old wood will do just fine, and any blooms it gets on new wood will just be an added bonus. But for people in colder zones, it makes 'Endless Summer' not all that different from the regular macrophyllas that it was supposed to be an improvement on. Some of the newer reblooming cultivars bloom more reliably on new wood and are better choices for cold climates.

My 'Endless Summer' died to the ground over winter but does have new growth at the base. Not perfect, but better than nothing, I guess. Same thing with my 'Nikko Blue,' but that one blooms on old wood only so I'm not expecting blooms this year.

After a bunch of research, I've decided the next hydrangea I plant will be a paniculata; 'Limelight' to be specific. It's capable of producing huge blooms like a mop head, but blooms on old and new wood and isn't nearly as traumatized by colder zones as the macrophyllas seem to be. Here's the PlantFiles scoop on that one: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/49376/

My Endless Summer "Blushing Bride" was new to me last year and basically died all the way to the ground, too...there are some live buds about 6" up from the ground, but that's it. So, I'm curious to see how it will bloom, after all the negative reviews.

I winter protected my other Hydrangea Macrophylla (not an Endless Summer type) and that is looking strange to me too, with not a lot of buds on the lower half of the plant. I would think that the lower buds would have been better protected than the upper ones. I've got leaf pom poms on the ends of all the canes, plus some live buds near the top, but not much going on lower down. I really hope some of the buds are just late to perk up, or it may be a really strange looking plant this year.

This message was edited May 6, 2008 9:41 PM

Any of the H. paniculata cultivars (of which Limelight is one) or any of the H. arborescens cultivars like Annabelle will do well in colder zones, both of those species bloom on new wood and are overall hardier than the macrophyllas so not only will you not have trouble with blooms, but they won't tend to die back as much either.

I hope this does not sound like I am arguing with you. I am not meaning to. I am sharing my experience with this plant that I have found to be great!

Mine bloom beautifully, and they die to the ground in winter. They are about the first thing to come back in the spring.

This is from the first year, with penta and plumbago.

this is from last year

Also last year

I contributed to one of those threads last year about the Endless Summer not being what it's cracked up to be. In addition, one of the other DG members referred to a Chicago Tribune article published last summer which, among other things, stated that the developers of the Endless Summer admitted that it was a "marketing failure." I'm lucky to get a handfull of blossoms during an entire season. For me it's a complete die-back every winter. As some have said, it's an "Endless Disappointment"! This summer will be the 4th season for my 2 bushes, so we'll see how it does. I, too, am very interested in trying the Annabelle. A coworker of mine (also in 5a) has Annabelle and Limelight -- she's very pleased with both of them!

The problem for me with Annabelle and Limelight is that they are huge, aren't they? I don't have the space for a really large shrub. Also, I have to say, I really love the deep, rich color I get from the macrophylla I do winter protect. If I get nice blooms again this year, I'm sure I will continue to jump thru hoops for it. If my Endless Summer "Blushing Bride" doesn't work out, I won't shed any tears.

yardqueen--there's really no argument, you live in a zone where Endless Summer (and any other H. macrophylla you might want to grow) will do just fine and bloom beautifully. However the whole reason Endless Summer was developed was to give people in zone 5/6 an opportunity to enjoy blooms without having to go to great lengths to protect the plants from cold, but it hasn't quite lived up to those expectations. So whether it's a great plant or not is going to vary depending on where you live, and there are a lot of people in zone 5/6 who've been disappointed in theirs because it doesn't get as many blooms on new wood as it's supposed to, but in zones 7+ it does great.

I also love the different colors I get

As I said I wsn't meaning to argue with anyone, just wanted to say that it works for me

So basically, it sounds like the best, and most plentiful blooms on ES come from the old wood....and those buds are likely to get zapped by our zone 5 Spring Frosts without the protection? (as vulnerable as the buds on any other macrophylla)

Yes, basically Endless Summer has turned out to be a regular old macrophylla, except once in a while it might get a bloom or two on new wood. So if you want to enjoy blooms from it, I'd protect it just like you would with any of the older macrophylla cultivars. But 'Endless Summer Blushing Bride' is one of the newer cultivars so it may be better, it's the original 'Endless Summer' that's a dud. There's a whole series of newer cultivars called Endless Summer something, and some others called Forever and Ever, and I think a few other series as well. The jury may still be out on some of them, but at the very least they should be a little better than the original ES.

I am glad I read this. I just received an endless summer as a gift for finishing grad school. Is there anything I can do now to help protect it or do I just have to see how it ends up making through the winter this next year?

Usually what people do is build a wire cage around it in the fall and pile it full of leaves, then "unpack" it in the spring when danger of hard frosts/freezes is past. Is it the original 'Endless Summer', or is it one of the others in that series that starts with Endless Summer but then has another name after it? Some of the others in that series are probably better about blooming on new wood and may not need protection. Protecting it for the winter still won't hurt, the plant won't die back as much and you'll get more blooms total if you protect the old-wood buds, then you'll have those flowers plus any that come on the new wood too.

I think the The Forever and Ever Double Pink is a good one. Mine (2) went in the ground last July. Both bloomed heavily on wood formed that year. I did add triple superphosphate to the backfill. They were unprotected all winter, died back to the ground and are now coming back rather robustly. I have side dressed with triple superphosphate (April 15th). I'll probably give a 10-10-10 feeding this week. We'll see what this year's flower production will be. The Double Pink is a small shrub. It requires very little garden space compared to full size mophead shrubs. The flowers are exquisite and large for the size of the plant.

My Endless Summer almost went in the chipper fall of 2006. It was 3-4 year's old and I'd only seen one lousy flower. Then early summer I gave it big dose of triple superphosphate. Nothing to lose! It bloomed huge mopheads about a month later and was still blooming when the frost hit it. This spring I side dressed earlier with the superphosphate. The shrub does come back quite vigorously each spring without any winter protection. I hope to get blooms sooner in the season.

(I've tried to remeber the exact dates of the Endless Summer saga but my Garden Journal from last year has gone temporarily AWOL. This is as good as my memory serves me.)

It is an endless summer with another name at the end. I want to say it is Balimer or something like that. Hopefully I remember to baby it a little in the fall. I prefer less fussy plants, but if I can get it to bloom nicely than it may be worth it.

It will make it through the winter in your zone with no problem with no protection (provided the soil conditions are suitable for hydrangeas). You will get foliage. What this plant seems to need to bloom is additional superphosphate fertilizer. Could you be thinking of 'Blushing Bride'? The Endless Summer hydrangeas are Bailey Nursery introductions.

http://www.baileynurseries.com/pressrelease/2295

http://endlesssummerblooms.com/en-us/consumer

Congratulations on finishing grad school.

Snapple, where do I find this triple superphosphate? Is there a certain brand name? Sounds like something I'd like to try! Thanks.

Here is a link for the manufacturer's web site. It has a pic of the package so you can ID it in the stores. In this area it is available at both Lowe's and Home Depot.

http://www.espoma.com/content.aspx?type=p&id=3&intCategoryID=3

I use it at planting time mixed in the soil at the bottom of the hole on literally everything but annuals and I side dress all the hydrangeas in the early spring at bud break. Phosphate moves very slowly through the soil. Hence placing it where new transplant roots can reach it in the bottom of the hole is better than side dressing. If you've got a reluctant blooming shrub, and all other good cultural conditions for the plant are met, superphosphate might be just what it needs. If you see leaves that develop with crinkles or puckers after applying phosphate you've used too much. It's harmless but an unnecessary waste of fertilizer.
It's dynamite when put under tulip or lily bulbs. You will see the tulips especially, with larger flowers in the second spring than the first and beyond.

Snapple, thanks for the info and for including the link. The packaging looks very familiar. It's on my shopping list!

Thanks Snapple.

I will try to find the tag that went with it. I know the work after it began with a letter B. I am fairly certain that it was a single word in parentheses. I just have to find the tag!

Maybe someone can help me with a pink mophead hydrangea. That's all I know about it--was one I gave my Mother for Easter a few years back, then transplanted it to my garden when it stopped blooming in the house. It bloomed nicely each year until about 2 years ago when DH "pruned" it back along with all the hedges. Chopped it down to about 8 inches. It did absolutely nothing last year, I thought he had killed it. But this year it has great leaves on all the stems. No flowers, but a couple of indications it might be trying to set flowers. Since it's almost mid-May here in Texas, is it likely to bloom this year? Will it ever fully recover? I am encouraged with all the leaves. Thanks for the help.

It's most likely one that blooms on old wood, so whether it'll bloom or not depends on if there are any stems there that grew last year. If it's all new growth from this year, then it won't bloom this year, but it should bloom next year (assuming DH doesn't prune it again!)

You should officially take away his garden shears Granny70! My husband's domain is the garden and mine is wherever there are flowers/shrubs.

Thanks for the response. And yes, we've had the hydrangea seminar now and he knows to leave it alone. The "old wood" comment rings a bell now that I search my memory. Seems like at the time he chopped it back, I remember thinking "wrong time of the year." Many of the stems that are covered with leaves now were coming back last year, so with luck, it should bloom next season. Hooray!

My Endless Summer has tiny buds showing - on new shoots. They havn't formed to wood yet. I also have tiny buds just beginning to show on the paniculata 'Pinky Winky'. The big surprise is Michael Dirr's "Lady In Red". I have a bud showing on a new shoot coming from the ground!? There is nothing showing on the serrata 'Blue Deckle'. However the new growth is strong and plentiful. Gonna be an interesting summer.

I've also got an unnamed white florist's hydrangea growing in a shady spot as an experiment. It was a Christams gift that I tossed in the compost pile in early March. I happened to notice somthing unusually green sticking out of a corner of some potato vegetable peelings and leaves on the pile. It was this darned hydrangea growing sideways. Not growing much mind you, but growing none the less. So I stuck it in the ground in an out of the way spot. It's only 2 shoots three inches tall but it is a survivor worthy of a reprieve.

My little Endless Summer "Blushing Bride" has a lot of new growth from the base, and I already see a flower forming there. 'Course, it's gonna be mighty close to the ground, but, hey, it's an early flower.

All Right! This is Mother Nature's repayment for that disaster last year misnamed spring