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Hydrangea or panicled hydrangea? How to tell them apart
Hydrangea macrophylla · Hydrangea paniculata
You can tell a hydrangea by its mophead or lacecap flowers in pink or blue and its glossy, coarsely toothed leaves; a panicled hydrangea has large, cone-shaped white panicles in late summer that turn pink as they fade, and dull, slightly rough leaves.
Look at the shape of the flower head: a ball or a flat cap on the common hydrangea, a pointed cone of 15–30 cm on the panicled hydrangea. The difference matters, because they are pruned differently.
| Hydrangea | Panicled hydrangea | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Opposite, oval, 10–20 cm, coarsely toothed and glossy. | Opposite or in whorls of three, 7–15 cm, oval with a pointed tip, toothed, dull green and somewhat rough. |
| Flowering | Large heads in pink, blue or white, June–September: blue on acid soil, pink on chalky soil (June–September). | Cone-shaped heads (15–30 cm) of small fertile flowers and large, sterile, white florets, from July to September; they turn pink or red and stay on as dried flowers (July–September). |
| Fruit | Small capsules. | Small capsules; the dry flower heads last through the winter. |
| Bark | Thick, light brown stems. | Brown, woody branches; old stems with peeling bark. |
| Shape and height | Shrub, 1–2 m | Shrub, 2–4 m |
| Site | Partial shade, any garden soil, moist to wet | Sun or partial shade, any garden soil, normal |
| Native to Belgium | No, planted | No, planted |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | Little | – |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Not known to be poisonous | Yes, take care with children and pets |
| Pruning months | March–April | March |
The best feature in each season
- Spring
- In March you prune both, but very differently: on the hydrangea only the old flower heads, down to just above a pair of fat buds; on the panicled hydrangea, last year’s shoots are cut back hard.
- Summer
- The hydrangea flowers from June to September on last year’s wood; the panicled hydrangea from July to September on new shoots.
- Autumn
- The flower colour of the hydrangea depends on the soil: blue on acid soil, pink on chalky soil. The white panicles of the panicled hydrangea turn pink by themselves as the nights get cooler.
- Winter
- Both keep their dry flower heads into spring. Leave them on the hydrangea: they protect the flower buds from frost. The panicled hydrangea also grows taller, 2–4 m.
Where do they grow?
Both come from East Asia and grow here only in gardens and parks. The hydrangea likes partial shade and moist soil; the panicled hydrangea also copes with sun and ordinary garden soil.
Which one for your garden?
- Prune a hydrangea too hard in winter and it will not flower, because you remove the flower buds; a panicled hydrangea actually flowers better after a hard prune. For bees the panicled hydrangea has a little more to offer: small fertile flowers hide among the large sterile ones.
- All parts of both are mildly poisonous if eaten, especially the leaves and buds: take care with young children and with pets that nibble them.
Did you know? The flower colour of the hydrangea gives your soil away: aluminium from acid soil turns it blue, while in chalky soil it stays pink.
Read on
- Plant profile: Hydrangea
- Plant profile: Panicled hydrangea
- Hydrangea: when and how to prune
- Panicled hydrangea: when and how to prune
- Identification key