2018 Winter Impact On Hydrangeas Part One

I was relieved to find that all my oak leaf and climbing hydrangeas had buds on them.

But then I had to muster the courage to inspect the troublemaker. Off I went to examine winter’s impact on hydrangeas that bloom on old and new wood. I have a variety of rebloomers (see list below). I also have some old wood macrophyllas like Lady In Red. Intentionally and unintentionally, my macrophyllas are scattered throughout various parts of my property with different levels of exposure to the elements. Here’s what I found.

As in prior years, the buds on one Lady In Red which blooms only on old wood were alive and well. This plant was protected from the prevailing weather by a neighbor’s house. The second Lady In Red was not so lucky: some tips and stems were clearly dead and showed no signs of life while other tips had live buds on them. Sadly, the first plant that came through winter with no scratches was later to suffer damage from a rare, freak tornado that tore into the plant. She is now badly damaged but still alive. The plan is to give her a severe cut back and reshaping after flowering to restore her.

Then I traversed the yard. Of my Endless Summer® , The Original collection, some had complete dieback, as shown in this photo (it is now regenerating from the base).

Inasmuch as I can’t control the weather, when I analyze which of my plants did what, I draw two major conclusions:

•             First, the plants that did the best were those that enjoyed winter protection from one or more of several sitings: dry winter persistent foliage which might have been needled conifers like Alberta spruces or overhead junipers. They might have had oaks that held their foliage and helped block icy winter winds. In some cases, there was a garden shed or a house or fence which served as protection. Additionally, rhododendrons and azaleas protected some plants. Make them think they live in a warmer zone. 

•             My second conclusion is that reblooming hydrangea macrophyllas are the only way to go. Where the tips of my plants died back, it is their reblooming capability that are producing the flowers along the stems. The magic of rebloomers is the answer for cold climate gardeners and can only enhance performance for gardeners everywhere else.

COMING ATTRACTIONS

I’ll be back in a few days with PART TWO of my report. That one will detail how my hydrangea serratas, the mountain hydrangeas, made it through the winter.