Little Lime Punch® Panicle Hydrangea

Lime green panicles on this compact panicle hydrangea color from the bottom up, so each cone carries green at the tip and white, pink and deep red below. Hydrangea paniculata Little Lime Punch® 'SMNHPH' grows 3 to 5 feet tall and wide in full sun to part sun, hardy from Zone 3 through Zone 8. New panicles keep coming through summer, so by September a single plant shows every stage at once. The stems carry the flower heads without staking. Panicle hydrangea, Hydrangea paniculata, takes more sun than any other common hydrangea and flowers on new wood from midsummer into fall. Buds form in spring on the current year's growth, so a hard winter or a late frost does not cost it a season of bloom, and soil pH has no effect on the color. Most panicle hydrangeas open white or green and age to pink or red. That change is driven by cool nights, so northern gardens color up strongly while warmer southern gardens tend to hold cream and soft blush instead. Cut back by about a third in late winter or early spring. Panicle hydrangeas take average soil as long as it drains, and once established they handle dry spells better than the other hydrangea groups. It is small enough for a foundation bed, a border, or a large container.