Panicle Hydrangea, Tree Hydrangea 'Tardiva'

This started being sold somewhat commonly in the Chicago area in the 1980's. It is reliable and it bears flower pyramidal flower clusters...Read More of fertile and sterile flowers; the lacecap idea, which is the normal hydrangea flower inflorescence rather than the mophead cluster of all sterile flowers. These clusters stay upright and don't fall all over the place as many large flowered cultivars. It blooms a little later than most other hydrangeas in late August and September, thus the name from tardy. It stays a basically neat, clean plant and is easy to prune in late winter to mid-spring.

I have tried to kill this thing, being a novice when doing so, i simply cut it down to the ground. our builder put it in with the landsc...Read Moreape pkg that came with the house. i have the largest most beautiful blooming one of all the houses in the subdivision that also had this in their landscape pkg. probably because of my agressive misguided pruning. it sets large blooms in summer that stay attractive all winter. it gets full sun (morning thru evening- southern exposure). no problems aside from it is a haven for hundreds of bees - and some weird large gnat-looking thing, none of which seem to be aggressive. it's placed next to a gate and walkway and we have yet to be stung by irritated bees. Every spring I cut it down now to about 2ft. and by summer it's over 6ft. tall. I plan to move it this fall to a less traveled area to avoid the bees. dependable beauty!

I have a very shady spot where I put this hydrangea. This will be the third summer, and it has yet to bloom, although it has finally sta...Read Morerted to get larger. I had the same problem with 'Endless Summer' -- I was almost ready to dig it up when it really took off. So I'm hoping this will do the same.
Update - this did bloom in 2011. The shrub is not full to the ground, probably because it is in too much shade, but it is getting fairly large. I've pruned it into more of a tree, and I think it will be just fine.

I've had it 3 years now, pruned to a standard. Placed it next to my house, surrounded by sidewalk. When I bought it it had huge blooms....Read More It doesn't grow, and the blooms are tiny.