Hydrangea ID and Pruning Guide

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Hydrangea Bloom Shapes and Characteristics: #

1. Bloom Shape: Lace cap-shaped clusters
   Colors: Pink to deep red to purple
   Leaves: Ovate and serrated
2. Bloom Shape: Large clusters
   Colors: White turning to pink
   Leaves: Oak-shaped, turning red, purple, and orange in fall
3. Bloom Shape: Cone-shaped clusters
   Colors: Start green, turn white, then pink or red as the season progresses
   Leaves: Oval-shaped with serrated edges
4. Bloom Shape: Large, snowball-shaped clusters
   Colors: White, with some newer cultivars offering pink or green hues
   Leaves: Smooth, heart-shaped
5. Bloom Shape: Large, round clusters with outer petals surrounding a central cluster
   Colors: Vary from pink to blue
   Leaves: Large, waxy, oval-shaped

Pruning Guidelines Based on Bloom Type: #

1. Blooms on Old Wood:

• Prune in summer or early fall.
• Remove up to one-third of the total stems each season, starting with the weakest shoots.
• Cut right down to the ground, leaving a combination of old productive wood and strong new stems for next season’s flowers.

1. Blooms on New Wood:

• Prune in late winter or early spring.
• For older varieties (e.g., classic ‘Annabelle’), prune aggressively to the ground to manage floppiness.
• Newer, more compact varieties may need less pruning.

1. Panicle Hydrangeas (Bloom on New Wood):

• Prune in late winter or early spring.
• Prune if overgrown or floppy, taking off 30%-50% of old growth before leaf-out.
• Shape into a roundish form.

1. Blooms on Old Wood:

• Prune in late summer or early fall after blooming.
• Requires minimal pruning; remove only dead or broken branches.
• Shape the plant after flowering if needed.

1. Blooms on Both New and Old Wood:

• Prune anytime.
• Deadhead spent flowers and prune out dead or weak stems.
• Old wood buds provide early season color, while current season growth blooms later, lasting through the season.