Versatile white hydrangea can have burgundy folio in the fall or bloodless summertime blooms that languish to shades of rose or green .
Traditional garden favorites , white hydrangeas are endearing incottage garden , moon gardens , and most other landscapes . In the late 1930s , English writer Vita Sackville - West had a beloved all - white garden at Sissinghurst Castle that includedHydrangea grandiflora .
blanched hydrangeas can add a sense of composure against a backdrop of colouration in your garden . They ’re famous for their gorgeous summer blooms , symbolizing grace , purity , and tolerance . Here ’s our guidebook on the best white hydrangeas for your garden .
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Some hydrangeas have traces of nitrile on their stems and buds and are toxic to humans . They can also be toxic to pets .
Choosing the Best White Hydrangea
There are severaltypes of white-hot hydrangeas(Hydrangeaspp . ) , each needing specific locations and care to perform best . These are the four most common types :
Smooth(H. arborescens ): ‘ Annabelle ’ is the most pop salmagundi . quiet hydrangea flower best infull sun , but southerly nurseryman should site the plants in part shade .
Bigleaf(H. macrophylla ): Bigleaf hydrangea are the classical florist shop hydrangea that everyone loves , but not everyone can turn them . Bigleafs grow well with fond shade in moist , well - drained soils . Most arehardy to USDA Zone 6 .
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Panicle(H. paniculata ): elusive and easy to arise , panicle hydrangeas produce cone - mould flowers . They prefer full sun and survive in all but the cold-blooded climates . Panicles flower later than other varieties , usually in midsummer . The heights range from 3 to 10 foot , depending on the variety .
Oakleaf(H. quercifolia ): These plant have oak - mold leaves , which turn eye - catching spook of Bourgogne , rusting , or orange in the crepuscle . The white flower heads usually twist pinkish or tan as the weather cools . Cultivars of this native specie , generally unfearing to Zone 5 , do well in teetotal soil and sun to partial tint .
‘Annabelle’ Smooth Hydrangea
politic hydrangeas are native to much of the eastern United States , so change were bind to occur . In the 1960s , a horticulture prof discovered that a smooth white hydrangea bush rise in Anna , Illinois , had bigger flowers than the traditional species . Since then , ‘ Annabelle ’ has become a democratic favorite .
Name : Hydrangea arborescens‘Annabelle ’
Hydrangea Type : Smooth
Credit: Andre Baranowski
Growing term : Full sunshine to part shade . Provide extra urine in extreme heat .
Size:5 feet tall and wide
Zones:3 - 9
Credit:Kindra Clineff
‘Incrediball’ Smooth Hydrangea
‘ Incrediball ’ is ‘ Annabelle ’ with even bigger bloom heads — as large as 12 inches astray — held on sturdy stems . This shrub is tall and wide , making it perfect as ascreen or focal spot in the landscape painting . Like ‘ Annabelle ’ , it ’s cold fearless , so a harsh winter wo n’t touch on this white hydrangea ’s summertime blooming performance . It might even perform a little better in northern climate than in the south .
Name : Hydrangea arborescens‘Incrediball ’
Growing condition : Full sun to part shade . Provide extra water in extreme heat . Prune in previous wintertime to early springto encourage fresh outgrowth and bloom .
Credit: Ralph Anderson
Size:4 to 5 feet magniloquent and encompassing
‘Haas’ Halo’ Smooth Hydrangea
Kindra Clineff
suppose ‘ Annabelle ’ if you flattened out thehydrangea bloomsso they were about 14 inches wide and an in or two deep . That would describe ‘ Haas ’ Halo ’ . This lacecapsmooth hydrangea is drouth , humidness , and heat tolerant .
Name : Hydrangea arborescens‘Haas ’ Halo ’
Credit: Courtesy of Proven Winners
Growing Conditions : Full sun to part shade ; prefers good morning sun and good afternoon nuance .
Size:3 to 5 foot tall and wide
‘Snow Queen’ Oakleaf Hydrangea
Oakleaf hydrangea are native to the southeastern United States , so they tolerate spicy , humid weather condition and are n’t quite as cold hardy as other hydrangeas . ‘ Snow Queen ’ has 4- to 12 - column inch - long white panicle that change to a rosy shade by fall when they coordinate with thered - burgundy purple color alteration of the leaves . Attractive skin cinnamon - people of colour bark adds interest in the winter after the leaves drop .
Name : Hydrangea quercifolia‘Snow Queen ’
Hydrangea Type : Oakleaf
Credit: Courtesy of Proven Winners
Growing Conditions : Full sun to part shade ( digest more sun the far north it get ) . Prefers well - enfeeble soil with average moisture .
Size:4 to 8 feet tall and wide
Zones:5 - 9 ; may call for winter shelter in northern gardens
Credit: Courtesy of Proven Winners
‘Gatsby Gal’ Oakleaf Hydrangea
If you wish ‘ Snow Queen ’ oakleaf hydrangea but do n’t have enough room , take a look at ‘ Gatsby Gal ’ . The white hydrangea flower cones are oversize for theshrub ’s dimensionsand held upright on strong stem . Tim Wood , product development manager at Spring Meadow Nursery , calls it “ a flamboyant flower showing . ”
Name : Hydrangea quercifolia‘Gatsby Gal ’
Growing Conditions : Moist , well - drain soil in full sun to part shade .
Credit: Courtesy of Proven Winners
Size:5 to 6 metrical foot tall and wide
‘Gatsby Moon’ Oakleaf Hydrangea
The single flower on the upright cones of ‘ Gatsby Moon ’ are packed tightly together . They exhibit an attractive quilted expression that makes you want to run your fingers across them . The white panicles historic period to green over time , and the foliage turns a lustrous burgundy in the fall . This white hydrangea almost seems to glow in the eve .
Name : Hydrangea quercifolia‘Gatsby Moon ’
Size:5 to 8 feet marvelous and wide
Credit: Courtesy of Proven Winners
‘Gatsby Star’ Oakleaf Hydrangea
When it comes to double - flowered oakleaf hydrangeas , ‘ Gatsby Star ’ lives up to its name . This livid hydrangea variety sports gorgeous clean two-fold petals that are point instead of rounded , so each blossom looks like a lilliputian sensation . In the gloaming , theflower color turns pinkish , and the leaves are burgundy . This is a white hydrangea you ’ll want to see up nigh .
Name : Hydrangea quercifolia‘Gatsby Star ’
‘Little Lamb’ Panicle Hydrangea
‘ Little Lamb ’ is as cunning as its namesake . lilliputian , obtusely clustered prime make each white flower head look like a flossy baby sheep . This variety beginsblooming in summer solstice , and the flowers turn a rich garden pink in the fall .
Name : Hydrangea paniculata‘Little Lamb ’
Hydrangea Type : Panicle
Credit: Jane Milliman
spring up Conditions : Full sun to part shade . Tolerates drought .
Size:4 to 6 feet tall and wide
Zones:3 - 8
‘Polar Ball’ Panicle Hydrangea
Do you want a supersized hydrangea ? Look for ‘ Polar Ball ’ , with its huge , snow-white white blooms . grant to Wood , this hydrangea stands 6 to 8 feet tallwith “ outrageously oversized ” flowers . “ I ’d say the sepal — the large , ornamental petal — are about four times as turgid , and the peak question is 50 percentage large ( than an average snowy hydrangea ) , ” he adds .
Name : Hydrangea paniculata‘Polar Ball ’
Growing condition : Full sun to part shade . Tolerates drought .
Credit: Courtesy of Ball Ornamentals
Size:6 to 8 feet magniloquent and wide
‘White Diamonds’ Panicle Hydrangea
Diamonds are among the toughest substance on the planet . While this white hydrangea ca n’t be used to practise holes , itstands up to heat and droughtbetter than others . Upright , sturdy stems concur white flower direct that transition by twilight to a pale tan .
Name : Hydrangea paniculata‘White Diamonds ’
Size:4 to 5 feet magniloquent , 5 to 6 foot wide
Credit: Dean Schoeppner
Zones:4 - 8
‘Bobo’ Panicle Hydrangea
If you have room for a largecontainer in your garden , you have enough infinite to grow ‘ Bobo ’ , a dwarf white hydrangea that can reach 3 feet grandiloquent . Though it ’s on the small side for a hydrangea bush , ‘ Bobo ’ is still a showstopper with pure white flowers that almost come out to beam in the garden . “ This midget hydrangea has so many flowers it look like a petty puffball of blooms ; you may hardly see the leaves , ” Wood say .
Name : Hydrangea paniculata‘Bobo ’
Growing Conditions : Part nicety , peculiarly afternoon shade , in evenly moist , well - drained territory .
Credit:@ritae / pixabay
Size:3 feet tall , 3 to 4 feet wide
Wedding Gown Bigleaf Hydrangea
Say “ I do ! ” to ‘ hymeneals Gown ’ , a bigleaf white hydrangea . Each lowly blossom that forms the flower head feature double flower petal , like a wedding bouquet on a stem . This low hydrangea variety can also begrown successfully in container .
Name : Hydrangea macrophylla‘Wedding robe ’
Hydrangea Type : Bigleaf
Credit:Kritsada Panichgul
Size:2 to 3 foot tall , 3 to 5 feet wide
Zones:5 - 8
‘Blushing Bride’ Bigleaf Hydrangea
This girl of ‘ Endless Summer ’ hydrangea salad days on both new and old Grant Wood . Round , white blooms about 6 inches wide eld to a pretty pale pink or blue , depending on themeasurement of the soil pH. Robust stanch keep the heavy white mopheads upright . Pruning can be done in the fall , ordried blush can be left on the stemsfor winter involvement until spring .
Name : Hydrangea macrophylla‘Blushing Bride ’
Size:3 to 6 foot tall and wide
Credit:KRITSADA Panichgul
Zones:4 - 9
‘White Dome’ Smooth Hydrangea
@ritae / pixabay
The ‘ White Dome ’ hydrangea is an upright , rounded shrub that conduct fluffy clustering of creamy - snowy flowers . The industrial plant is a stellar alternative to ornamental smoke and carry few diseases , making it comparatively easy to care for .
Name : Hydrangea arborescens‘White Dome ’
Credit:Jack Coyier
Growing condition : Medium wet . Full sun to part shade . Provide extra piddle in full sun .
Size:6 feet marvellous and wide
‘Ruby Slippers’ Oakleaf Hydrangea
Kritsada Panichgul
‘ Ruby Slippers ’ is a compact descriptor with inflorescences that are big for such a small plant , growing up to 9 inches long . The bush is overcompensate in ashen prime that quickly turn pink and then age to a saturatedruby colouration .
Name : Hydrangeaquercifolia‘Ruby Slippers ’
Credit:Matthew Benson
Growing Conditions : Fun sunshine to fond spook in well - drained soil .
Size:4 feet tall , 5 foot panoptic
Zones:5–9
Credit: Jacob Fox
‘Alice’ Oakleaf Hydrangea
KRITSADA Panichgul
‘ Alice ’ acquire whitened flowers on 14 - in inflorescences . They eventually turn pink , then beige , just before the leaf matures to a cryptic purple and burgundy coloring for fall . The mature branches provide interesting colour and grain in wintertime .
Name : Hydrangeaquercifolia‘Alice ’
raise condition : Full Dominicus to part subtlety in moist , well - drained soil .
Size:8 foot grandiloquent and wide
‘PeeGee’ Panicle Hydrangea
Jack Coyier
‘ PeeGee ’ is a vigorous bush or humble tree for full sun . It bears clusters of snowy flowers in summer that fade to shades of rose or green before turning ecru in winter . It can be rail as an upright tree to 25 feet improbable but is more often grown as a bush that attain about 15 feet tall .
Name : Hydrangea paniculata‘PeeGee ’
Growing condition : Full sun or fond shade in moist , well - drain soil .
Size:15 - 25 foot marvellous and 8 feet wide
Zones:4–8
Climbing Hydrangea
Matthew Benson
rise hydrangea combine the attractive growth habit of a vine with the beauty of hydrangea . Thisbig vineproduces large bunch of livid bloom held against rich , dark immature foliage in early summertime . Climbing hydrangea latch onto supporting structures by ethereal roots . They grow slowly and wo n’t blossom for the first few age .
Name : Hydrangea anomala
Hydrangea Type : Vine
get Conditions : Sun or refinement , rich well - drained soil
Size:30 - 50 feet marvelous , 5–6 feet wide-eyed
Zones:4–7
‘Limelight’ Panicle Hydrangea
‘ Limelight ’ is a sun - jazz selection with large creamy livid hydrangeas that turn light chartreuse as they mature in midsummer into fall . The blush deepen to pinkish - rose in nerveless weather .
Name : Hydrangea paniculata‘Limelight ’
acquire condition : Full Sunday to part specter in medium - moist , well - debilitate soil .
Size:8 feet grandiloquent and 6 feet wide
Zones:3–8
Frequently Asked Questions
hydrangea are unique because their pollen is exceedingly glutinous , making it unusual for the farting to blow it around . They are good choices for allergy - prostrate hoi polloi .
Most hydrangeas can produce in a large container for a match of years , but they need to be transplanted to the garden or landscape to carry on grow and reach their mature size . The exception are dwarf hydrangeas , which can grow in large container for several years .
Think about couple ‘ Annabelle ’ with another earth - mold industrial plant , such asAllium‘Gladiator ’ , which has large , purple flowers .
Your best stakes is to summate hydrangea — such as some cultivars of bigleaf or mountain — that bloom on old woodandnew wood . That will give you a good prospect of healthy blossom each twelvemonth , especially if you protect the flora in the winter .
“ The garden at Sissinghurst Castle Garden . ” National Trust .
“ Hydrangeas : Stars of Late Summer . ” Cornell Botanic Gardens .
“ Toxicology Answer : Take Care with the Bigleaf Hydrangea . ” ACEP Now , American College of Emergency Physicians .
“ Hydrangea . ” ASPCA .
“ Hydrangeas in the Garden . ” Rutgers , The State University of New Jersey Cooperative Extension .
“ Selecting Hydrangeas for the Home Landscape . ” Ohio State University Extension .
