My Limelight Hydrangea is truly one of my fav's! I wait all summer for the blooms, and they are gorgeous! The bloom size is amazing! And even with summer's torrential downpours, the plant continues to hold its giant blooms upright.
Even though Limelight is a relatively late bloomer in my garden, I don't mind the wait. With these beautiful blooms in late summer, Limelight is a shining star in my garden.
The blooms emerge with a soft, lime green tint, hence their name, and open fully to a pure white.
This photo shows how large the blossoms can get - they engulf my hand! The blooms are easily 6-8" long. Though they have only a very slight fragrance, they delight me with their little florets combining to make these large blossoms.
The fluffy blooms last for many weeks, gradually turning a pinkish hue. The blossoms can be cut and dried, though I often leave them on the plant even into the winter months. Sometimes old blossoms look like tiny tumbleweeds as they are blown across the snow-packed ground.
There is relatively no maintenance with this beautiful shrub. The only pruning necessary is to remove any dead wood, which there seldom is.
You could trim off the old flowers after summer if you desired to. And if you like to dry the blossoms, you can remove them at any time.
This cheery plant is a stand-out in the garden. Give it plenty of room to grow, and water it regularly until it is established, and in times of drought, especially when the flower heads are forming. Limelight does like to have evenly moist soil, so mulching the root zone is a great idea. This hydrangea will never fail to bring beautiful blooms long after most other plants have finished blossoming. Hummingbirds and bees enjoy the blossoms, too!
NOTE: Limelight (paniculata) hydrangeas differ from the mophead (macrophylla) hydrangeas many are familiar with. Mopheads include Annabelle and Endless Summer, two of the most commonly used hydrangeas in the midwestern landscape. The leaves of paniculata are smaller, and the bloom time is much later in summer. Both types deserve a place in the garden!
Scientific name: Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight'
Common name: Limelight Hydrangea
Family: Hydrangeaceae
Zone: 4-8
Light requirements: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Height: 6-8'
Spread: 6-8'
Bloom time: Mid-late summer through mid-fall
Caveats: Some parts of the plant may be poisonous if ingested. So, don't eat it. Simple as that.
NOTE: Limelight (paniculata) hydrangeas differ from the mophead (macrophylla) hydrangeas many are familiar with. Mopheads include Annabelle and Endless Summer, two of the most commonly used hydrangeas in the midwestern landscape. The leaves of paniculata are smaller, and the bloom time is much later in summer. Both types deserve a place in the garden!
Scientific name: Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight'
Common name: Limelight HydrangeaFamily: Hydrangeaceae
Zone: 4-8
Light requirements: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Height: 6-8'
Spread: 6-8'
Bloom time: Mid-late summer through mid-fall
Caveats: Some parts of the plant may be poisonous if ingested. So, don't eat it. Simple as that.