This article byDebbie Lonneeappeared in the Sept / Oct 2019 issue ofNorthern Gardener
works to piece
Sept / Oct 2019
Hydrangea paniculata
Panicle Hydrangea
Tree Form
Nothing supply color to the late summer landscape painting more thanHydrangea paniculata , also known as panicle hydrangea . It is one of the fearless species of hydrangea we can acquire in Minnesota .
Rather than highlight one of the many newfangled cultivar on the market place today , I ’d like to showcase how it can be grown into a different bod or form .
When you think of a bush , you likely image a multistemmed works that is circular and bushy . When you cogitate of a tree diagram , you likely project a individual trunk with a branched top . How about immix the two and raise what my fellow and I jokingly call a bush on a pin !
This is now usually done withHydrangea paniculata , and a well - shaped tree physique is a welcome improver to small - outer space gardens .
It takes the greenhouse grower more than five years to fetch a good - sized panicle hydrangea tree to market . Without go into too many expert details , the growers take a youthful frozen slip , curve out all but the strongest , straight stem to create a automobile trunk , and later on prune the trunk at a certain height ( normally about 4 foot ) to create a shrubby pear-shaped head . Those bareroot Tree are harvested and shipped to other growers or plant in large containers , typically 7- or 10 - gallon containers that will eventually be ship to the garden center after another year of rooting and ontogeny . These plants have the expression of a young ornamental tree with a very visible body .
Typically , the tall panicle character are used for tree diagram production . Think about great cultivars such as ‘ Limelight ’ PP12,874 , First Editions ® Vanilla Strawberry ™ and Quick Fire ® . These are all varieties that ripen in the 6- to 8 - invertebrate foot peak mountain chain and are best for trees . The newer dwarf cultivars do not lend themselves to tree descriptor . The conical flower come out to form in July and bloom through August and into September .
Growing Tips
So , how do you grow and maintain a tree diagram - form hydrangea ? They have the same cultural requirement that the shrubs do : full sunlight and well - drained , average soil . Most cultivar are hardy in USDA Zone 4 , with many hardy to zone 3 . Pruning is the master difference . Panicle hydrangeas blossom on fresh woodwind , so they can be pruned as torpid plants in March , April or former May . You will need to be diligent , specially with a newly planted Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , in the first years to keep up that rotund pattern . you could rationalise the stem back 25 to 50 percent ( do n’t be timid ! ) , and stand back as you prune to watch that you are maintaining a rotund shape . If any shoot appear on the automobile trunk , they can be easy pruned to maintain the automobile trunk expression .
A light-colored fertilization in leaping is helpful . In the landscape , these small shrub on a stick offer a plant that looks like a tree but that fits into a very small space . Small urban center lashings and townhouse garden will all benefit from the verticality of a pocket-sized tree diagram . I see many designers using them in large display pots , but they will have to be stored indoors during our cold Minnesota wintertime .
Just a few thoughts about the three cultivar I have suggested above :
‘ calcium light ’ PP12,874From the Proven Winners ® Color Choice program , this is an excellent diversity as a tree . The blossom open in midsummer , first linden tree green , then a squeamish white-hot . As the flowers grow , they will take on some light shade of pinkish , burgundy and green .
First Editions ® Vanilla Strawberry ™ Bred in France , this is one of the first panicle hydrangeas to display incredible shades of garden pink , then strawberry , as the panicle matures . It starts out livid , and then the colour begins at the bottom of the panicle . This color is best expressed when we get cool nighttime temperatures in late July into August . The last two season we have had spectacular people of colour on this miscellanea . The ruby stem are a bonus .
Quick Fire ® (‘Bulk ’ PP16,812)Also part of the Proven Winners ® Color Choice program , this is one of the earliest panicle eccentric to bloom in summer , sometimes a month in the beginning than other varieties . The flowers are more open than other types but are beautiful in their own mode . Quick Fire will take on some pink coloring in August as the flowers suppurate .
Debbie Lonneeworks in the gardening manufacture and gardens in South St. Paul .
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