Bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) is the classic garden hydrangea with huge balls of blue, pink or white flowers that we also see in bouquets. It is the showiest hydrangea but also the fussiest: it flowers on last year’s shoots, likes acidic soil and does not survive hard frost without cover. Here is which varieties to choose for Ukraine, how to plant, prune and protect bigleaf hydrangea so it flowers every year, and how to turn pink flowers blue.
Bigleaf hydrangea comes from Japan, so it likes moisture, a mild climate and dappled light. The leaves are large, glossy and toothed, and the bush is usually 1–1.5 m tall.
Flower heads come in two types: rounded mopheads and flat lacecaps, where small fertile flowers in the centre are ringed by large sterile ones.
The key difference from panicle and smooth hydrangeas is that flower buds form on last year’s shoots. If they are cut in autumn or frozen in winter, the bush stays green but has no flowers. All types are compared in our hydrangea guide.
Bigleaf hydrangea varieties
Reblooming varieties are the most reliable in Ukraine because they flower on both old and new wood: the Endless Summer series, Forever & Ever, L.A. Dreamin’ (pink and blue heads on one plant) and You & Me Together.
Classic varieties include Nikko Blue (deep blue in acidic soil), Hot Red and Red Beauty (red), Bouquet Rose (pink) and Masja (compact raspberry). They are beautiful but need careful winter cover.
For terrace pots, pick compact varieties up to 60–80 cm, which are easy to move into a cellar or garage for winter.
How to plant bigleaf hydrangea
Choose part shade with morning sun and protection from midday sun. Heads scorch in strong sun, and flowering weakens in deep shade. More plants for such spots in shade-loving flowers.
Soil should be acidic (pH 5–6), loose and moisture-retentive. Fill a 50×50 cm hole with roughly equal parts acidic peat, compost and sand. Do not add lime or ash.
Spring planting after the last frost is best: the bush roots during the season and overwinters better. Mulch with 5–7 cm of pine bark after planting.
Watering, feeding and colour
The name Hydrangea means “water vessel”: in hot weather water 2–3 times a week with 10–15 litres per bush, using rain or settled water. Hard, limy water gradually raises soil pH.
Feed with nitrogen in spring and potassium-phosphorus from midsummer to help buds form and prepare for winter. Special hydrangea fertilisers make this easy.
To turn a pink hydrangea blue you need acidic soil and available aluminium: from spring, acidify the soil and water with alum or a special bluing product. The effect shows at the next flowering, and you repeat it every year.
Pruning and winter care
Never prune bigleaf hydrangea in autumn or you will cut off next year’s flowers. In spring, as buds swell, remove old heads down to the first pair of strong buds, plus dead or frost-damaged shoots.
Flower buds are damaged at around −15 °C, so in most of Ukraine the bush needs cover. After the first frosts, mound peat around the base, bend shoots onto spruce branches and cover with two layers of fleece, leaving some ventilation.
Potted hydrangeas spend winter in a cool room or cellar at 0…+5 °C with occasional watering so the roots do not dry out.
Bigleaf hydrangea in bouquets
Bigleaf hydrangea is the florist’s favourite: a single stem already looks like a small bouquet. In our catalogue, a single hydrangea costs roughly 440–450 UAH and a bouquet of 5 blue ones about 2,700 UAH.
Hydrangea drinks through its petals as well as its stem. Mist the heads daily, and if one wilts, submerge it in cool water for 30–40 minutes to revive it. Other long-lasting flowers are in long-lasting cut flowers.
Hydrangea bouquets with delivery
While your own hydrangea grows, we can deliver blue, pink or white hydrangeas across Kyiv and Ukraine, as single stems or lavish arrangements.
Graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Biology and Medicine (2001). BSc in Biology, MSc in Horticulture. Writes about plants, works at a garden centre selecting and repotting plants, and contributes to plant reference guides.
Birthday
Hydrangeas