Bigleaf Hydrangeas

I was sorting through some of my photos and realized that I have several sets of photographs of various bigleaf hydrangeas that I haven’t shared with you. So I thought I’d start sharing them today.

When you think about the hydrangeas that we usually see in yards and gardens, you probably remember the wonderful balls pink and blue blossoms. Chances are what you saw were on of the bigleaf hydrangea (hydrangea macrophylla). Originally native to China and Japan, they tend to be hardy from USDA zones 5 to 9. The shrubs grow to 7 feet tall and 8 feet wide, with long green leaves and clusters of flowers. In many cases, the color of the blossoms is determined by the ph of the soil.

Here are some of the bigleaf hydrangeas I’ve photographed in recent years.

Forever Pink Hydrangea – this is the only time I’ve seen hydrangeas in these shades of pink and purple

Merritt’s Surprise Hydrangeas – an amazing shade of bright pink

Mathilda Gutges – a wonderful blue hydrangea

Do you have a favorite type of hydrangea?