Hydrangea flowers fall into one of two groups: mophead and lacecap.
Both make beautiful additions to your garden.
Mopheads
Mopheadhydrangeasoffer big, dome-shaped clusters of florets in blue, pink, or white.
Credit: Kritsada Panichgul
Most bloom in late spring or early summer.
Theirflower heads often dry right on the plantand continue looking good into winter.
Mopheads grow best in a spot with moist,well-drained soiland a bit of afternoon shade.
Credit: Emily Followill Photography
The long-lasting flowers are great for cutting, since they have such strong stems.
It grows six feet tall and wide in Zones 59.
It grows five feet tall and six feet wide in Zones 59.
Credit: Lynn Karlin Photography
It features bright fuchsia-pinkflowers that last a long timebefore fading to a lovely shade of green.
It grows three feet tall and three feet wide in Zones 59.
The flowers on this mophead are bicolored with white and either deep bluein acidic soilormagenta in more alkaline soil.
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
It grows three feet tall and three feet wide in Zones 59.
They’re a dark purple-black color that contrasts with the green foliage and pastel blue or pink blooms.
It grows six feet tall and wide in Zones 69.
Credit: Studio Au King
Lacecaps
Lacecap hydrangeasgive the garden a more delicate look.
Those small florets contain nectar that feeds pollinators.
When it comes to lacecap care,they have similar needs as their mophead cousins.
Credit: Courtesy of Proven Winners
Stiff stems keep the spectacular flowers standing upright.
‘Lanarth White’ grows four feet tall and wide in Zones 59.
They feature long, narrow, hairy foliage and bloom in late summer and fall.
Credit: David Speer
They’re also much larger, growing to 12 feet tall and wide in Zones 79.
Light-O-Day
You’ll love this hydrangea’s beautiful foliage, even when it doesn’t bloom.
‘Light-O-Day’ is aHydrangea macrophyllavariety that features rich green foliage broadly edged in white.
Credit: Bryan E. McCay
Its white lacecap blooms are an attractive complement.
This shrub grows five feet tall and wide in Zones 59.
Endless Summer
‘Endless Summer’ hydrangeais one of the most famous rebloomers.
Credit: Bill Stites/EYESWEET INC
Introduced in 2004, it allows gardeners in Northern climates to enjoy hydrangeas.
It features big mopheadclusters of blue or pink flowersand grows five feet tall and wide in Zones 49.
There’s also alacecap versionavailable; it’s called ‘Twist-n-Shout.’
Credit: Mike Jensen
Blue Bunny
This pretty variety ofHydrangea involucratashows offblue clusters of lacecap flowersfrom midsummer to frost.
‘Blue Bunny’ is a strong grower with slightly hairy foliage and unique acorn-shaped flower buds.
It grows four feet tall and wide in Zones 69.
Credit: Studio Au King
Let’s Dance Starlight
This lacecap hydrangea variety produces showy flowers for months.
It also has rich, dark green foliage and a compact habit.
‘Let’s Dance Starlight’ grows three feet tall and wide in Zones 59.
Credit: Courtesy of White Flower Farm
In acidic soils, flowers tend to be blue.
In more alkaline soils, blooms tend be more pink.
‘Annabelle’ Hydrangea
‘Annabelle’ hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens’Annabelle') produces huge snowy-white mophead flowers.
Credit: Erica George Dines
For that, it’s sometimes called snowball hydrangea.
It grows five feet tall and wide in Zones 49.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Credit: Studio Au King
Credit: Alise O’Brien Photography
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Credit: Emily Followill Photography
