MANCHESTER (NEWS CENTER Maine) — Hydrangeas are a favorite in Maine, but as with other plants, if you live in colder zones, you are limited to what will survive the winters.
Scott Longfellow of Longfellow’s Greenhouses in Manchester, Maine, shared with us his favorites hearty Hydrangeas.
He prefers the Paniculata species. These are not the Hydrangeas that are deep pink and blue. Those belong to the Microphylla species. These are mostly white with some pink or green hues.
BoBo have big white cone-shaped flowers and stays relatively compact. These are great for planting along foundations where you don’t want the plant to grow too high.
Strawberry Sundae is also relatively compact. It gets about 4-5 feet high.
Quick Fire offer more sparse flower heads and a slightly pink hue.
Limelight has a light green tint and gets white as it matures. These will get bigger, about 6-7 feet.
And his personal favorite: Pinky Winky. It has very strong stems and large blossoms. "It’s very stately," Longfellow says. "That will turn into a pinkish color and then a bronze as the season progresses."
One other favorite belongs to yet another species. It’s called Annabelle. It dies back all the way to the ground, unlike most Hydrangeas which leave stalks and spout new growth off last year’s growth. These send up new chutes from the ground. They have round white flower heads. They are early blooming and the plants can keep going for 100 years.
These species do not change color depending on the pH of the soil, unlike many other varieties. It likes to be neutral on the pH scale and needs good drainage.
These Hydrangeas like at least a half day of sun. And Scott says don’t forget to water. During the first summer, they should be watered once to twice a week.