Plant Type

Shrub

 

Height Range

6-12'

 

Flower Color

White

 

Flower Season

Summer

 

Leaf Color

Green

 

Bark Color

Brown

 

Fruit Color

n/a

 

Fruit Season

n/a

Sun

Full, Half, Shade

 

Water

Low, Medium

 

Growth Rate

Fast, Moderate

 

Soil Type

Clay, Loam

 

Soil Condition

Average, Rich, Well-drained

 

Soil pH

Neutral, Basic

 

Adverse Factors

n/a

Design Styles

English Cottage, Ranch

 

Accenting Features

Fall Color, Showy Flowers

 

Seasonal Interest

Summer, Fall

 

Location Uses

Background, Shrub Border, Foundation, Walls / Fences

 

Special Uses

Cut Flowers, Hedge, Screen, Mass Planting

 

Attracts Wildlife

n/a

Peegee hydrangea is a vigorous, upright, rapidly growing, somewhat coarsely textured, deciduous shrub which grows 8 to 15 feet tall and 8 to 10 feet wide. Its flowers are conical, terminal panicles (typically 6 to 8 inches long) consisting almost entirely of sterile florets. Larger flower panicles (to 18 inches long) can be obtained by thinning plants to 5 to 10 primary shoots. Blooming July to September, flowers emerge creamy white and age to pink and finally fade to brown or tan, persisting well into the fall. In full bloom, the weight of the flower panicles will typically cause the branches to arch downward. Leaves are large and medium green, with a yellow to tan fall color. This cultivar is an old form that was first introduced into cultivation in the 1860s. A number of selections are available, with differing size and slightly differing flowering times.

Best grown in organically rich, medium moisture, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Blooms on current season's growth, so prune in late winter or early spring. Can be trained as a single trunk tree, but is best grown as a large, multi-stemmed shrub. One of the most cold hardy of the hydrangeas. Unlike the fancy blue or pink H. macrophylla, peegee is adaptive to our alkaline soils.