Grow an Endless Summer Hydrangea for Weeks of Blooms
Updated: Apr. 11, 2023
Add more beautiful blooms to your garden! Learn to care for an Endless Summer hydrangea, and what sets this shrub apart from other hydrangeas.
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Endless Summer Hydrangea Benefits
Introduced in 2004, Endless Summer hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla) have a little boost over their hydrangea relatives. As the name implies, these bigleaf hydrangeas stretch out the summer season by reblooming—a marked difference from other garden-variety hydrangeas, which only flower once a year. They’ll bloom from spring through fall and have the capability to bloom on current as well as previous seasons’ growth. Compared to some other types of hydrangeas, they’re better at enduring colder winters, too. They will grow in Zones 4 or 5 through Zone 9, depending on the plant.
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Endless Summer Hydrangea Care
If you’re looking to get the most out of your Endless Summer hydrangea, there are a few care tips you should follow (especially if you live in a colder growing zone). The grower’s website notes that the amount of sunlight the plant receives is of vital importance when it comes to reblooming. They recommend positioning the plant in an area that receives full morning sun and “dappled shade” in the afternoon.
Gardeners in warmer climates, the grower says, should keep the plant out of intense sun and limit exposure to 2 to 3 hours of morning sunlight. Allow part or dappled shade in the afternoon. Endless Summer hydrangeas grow best in loamy soil, and it’s possible to change the color of these hydrangeas, too, depending on the pH level of your soil.
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Endless Summer reblooming hydrangeas take well to fertilizer. The grower recommends using a granular, slow-release fertilizer in spring or early summer, but be mindful: over-fertilizing can delay or thwart bloom growth. It’s also best not to overwater an Endless Summer hydrangea, as that can also complicate bloom production.
One of the major perks of Endless Summer hydrangeas is that they require very little pruning. Since these plants bloom on both new and old growth, it’s best not to over-prune, and not to prune at all when August arrives. To overwinter your in-ground hydrangea, the grower recommends using fallen leaves, wood mulch or straw to insulate the shrub. If you plant your hydrangea in a container, bring the container inside your garage or other protected space for winter. Water as necessary.
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Where to Buy Endless Summer Hydrangeas
To pick out an Endless Summer hydrangea for your garden, check out your local garden center. You can also shop online at retailers including The Home Depot and Tractor Supply Co. Several Endless Summer varieties are available to choose from, including the Original, raspberry colored Summer Crush, lacecap flowering Twist-n-Shout and the more compact Pop Star, pinkish-purple BloomStruck, and the stunning white Blushing Bride hydrangea.
Next, find out why you should add Limelight and Little Lime hydrangeas to your garden.
Originally Published: April 11, 2023
