Aren't green hydrangea flowers just white ones that have not fully colored up (that is, they are still immature flowers)?

Are immature hydrangea as big as the pics I posted? What variety are you thinking of? I really don't know the answer as I've ever seen an immature white hydrangea. Most of the articles or nurseries that describe white hydrangeas claim that white hydrangeas are white throughout growth.

I don't mean the plant is immature, but rather than the flower is immature. I only have 'Annabelle' and oakleaf hydrangeas. My 'Annabelle' blooms are definitely green before they turn to white, just like in your pictures.

Yes, the only really "green" flowered hydrangea is a standard white flowering variety with immature (not fully developed) flowerheads. IME, most white flowered hydrangeas go through this coloring - macs, paniculatas, Annabelle, etc. - H. paniculata 'Limelight' features this effect. Other greenish tints will be developed by some as the flowers age, but it is not the same look as in your photos and I understand that is not what you are looking for.

FWIW, hydrangeas for the cut flower trade are most often grown in greenhouses (so they are available out of season) and greenhouse grown hydrangeas are treated to a very complex routine of lighting, temps, fertilizers and growth hormones to produce the size and color flowers they do. This is NOT an easy process for the home grower to duplicate.

This was a hydrangea Annabelle I had a while back. It looked good, at this stage, but then all the flowers sagged to the ground, and then it looked really bad. It was getting too big for the space, so I took it out. The only way to get it, would be plant annabelle or the new one with the stronger stems "Incrediball". I am not sure that Incrediball would come in green first, there are like no photos of it, that don't come from Wayside in bloom.

I am sure that one one photo of the annabelle with the huge flowers not sagging to the ground is fixed. They must cut off the flowers and tied them back on again, because they can not stand up on the those stems with flowers that big. I could have staked each flower, but that would so much work, and then you have the ugly stakes to look at.

So, take a photo quick of the green flowers, and cut off all the flowers before they turn white. I had a smaller annabelle, that was staying in its space neatly, but then it died of cold, so I now I don't have any annabelles. I thought the green flowers were not that nice really. I thought maybe they were a flaw or something, before I found out they were immature, and had yet to start sagging.

Here is a link that might be useful: Green Hydrangea flowers

Thanks for your responses! I'll give white hydrangea a try.

I was seriously considering this variety that's naturally green, hydrangea paniculata- limelight. The color is absolutely gorgeous, although the flower shape is not as round and flat as mopheads. Too bad it's hardy in zone 3-8 and I'm on the border of 9 and 10. Those of you who are in the right zone can give it a shot, if you like green flowers that is.

Wait, don't just get a white mop top, it has to be an annabelle. I had a white mop top and it did not have green flowers. Mop top(Hydrangea macrophylla) and annabelle (Hydrangea arborescens) are two different plants. There could be a slight green thing to a mop top, but it may not be as much as the annabelle. Some florist do dye their flowers, and also consider the lighting or any work with photoshop can change the tint to make it more green. Other people know more, but I had a white mop top and it really did not become green at any point. It did not live very long either.

It's of a bad idea to fall in love with a perfect color on a photo, it may never be realized. I was all ready to buy another pampas grass because of the candy cotton pink in a catalogue, but people told me that it's fixed. The real color is a dirty pinkish that is not at all pretty.

It doesn't just have to be 'Annabelle' - having grown and planted scores of hydrangeas over the years as well as selling hundreds more, I can state with a fair amount of certainty that most white flowered hydrangeas, regardless of type, will produce immature flowers that have distinctly greenish tones. FWIW, even most colored hydrangeas will offer a greenish tone while still in mostly bud. It is just part of the color change the flowers of these plants go through from immature/mostly bud stage, to full flower and finally to faded or aged flower.

Specific cultivar, siting and climate will all play a factor - the degree to which this is noticeable is variable. In warmer climates this coloring is less pronounced, especially if in more sun. And despite what you may read online, even 'Limelight' does not hold its green tone throughout the bloom cycle - it eventually becomes a creamy white and then fades to a rosy pink.

It might also be helpful to know that hydrangeas for the cut flower trade - like those in the photos - are greenhouse grown and heavily manipulated to develop specific traits, like coloring and larger, heavier blooms on very young plants.

I looked at the white flower farms website and I found this, it said the new hydrangea actually goes from green to white and then back to green. So, it would be more green then Annabelle, if that is what you want. My white mop top was never green in the immature flowers, but that does not mean it can never do that, that is just what my experience was. In fact, it was a bit reddish when immature which I thought was nicer then the green. I am not a big fan of the green color. But, if one was buy it only for the green color it would better to go with an Annabelle type in which the green color is more pronounced.

An amazing improvement of the well-known Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle', this Mophead has flower heads four times the size on sturdy stems that don't flop. Blooms progress from lime green to white and back to green. Incrediball truly adds heft to bouquets, fresh or dried. A Proven Winners®/Color Choice® variety. 'Abetwo' PPAF

Thanks Tropical_thought & Gardengal. I actually used green hydrangea as my wedding bouquet and center pieces for the reception, so I know the colors of photos are real. But I think ya'll are right that it has to do with the greenhouses' manipulation and I won't have the time or energy to do that. Someone in Colorado told me their white hydrangeas are always green to begin with, and she suspects it has something to do with their soil.

Tropical, I've looked into Incrediball and I love the colors! But they're HUMONGOUS lol!

I'll give Annabelle a shot first and see how it goes.

I would get Limelight. The blooms stay green for a long time.

Hi yelppuppy
I have green flower hydrengea information for you.
Hydrengiea macrophylla Queen of peral
It is intruduced by Dr Michael Dirr of Univercity of Georgia.
Griffith Propagation Nursery,INC is licenced dealer. The nursery is not retail nusery.Whole sale grower, North of Athen, Georgia where univicity of Georgia locate.

Griffith propagation Nursery
2580 Antioch Church RD
Watkinsvill, GA 30677
1 888-830-3236
www.griffithpropagationnursery.com

Check "Itsaul nursery" it is also locate in Georgia, They have unuseal plants.
There are two green flower hydengeas in Japan but I don't know who has it in US.

Keep looking . You will find one just matter of time ^^.
yama

That would be Hydrangea macrophylla 'Queen of Pearls' :-) And while it does start off green, it is a white flowered hydrangea. Unfortunately no hydrangea keeps a true green color throughout its entire bloom cycle.

Here is a link that might be useful: Hydrangea 'Queen of Pearls'

What about Limelight, I thought that was a lime green hydrangea. I've heard it stays green through most of the summer and then turns pink in the fall.

'Limelight' has very lime green flower buds that do hold their color for a period of time - but NOT all season. Midseason flowers (fully opened) will be white, then fade to a rose tone as they age.

'Limelight':

Hi gardengal
I have a friend who wrote book about hedreangea, he send me his book. In his book, he mentioned two green flower hydreandea.Japan Nursery Association has sub group for hydeangea to promote hydreangea. he is core member of Japan Nursery Assoiatin and his father served as president of Japan Nursery association. If I get permmision to post photo of green hydreangea in this forum, I will post two green hydreangeas later.
If I can take photo my self when I visit to his nursery this late spring to /early summer then I don't need permmision to own photo to post here.
There is one green hydrengea cause by Virus. Past president of Japan hydrengea society, Mr Yamamoto suspected, and took sample green flower hydengea to One of univercity in Tokyo. As Mr Yamamoto guessed green flower of hydreangea was caused by virus. He wrote beautifull hydreangea book. If you are intrested, I can provide you information about the book. I already packed books,it is ready to ship to Japan so that can't give you name of two Japanese green hydreangeas. After I setteled in Japan, I will post again.
yama