It is a very pale pink (hence "blushing"). I saw them in bloom at a local garden center last year - I must say that I was not terribly impressed with the color then. I prefer them either pure white (like Annabelle) or a pretty pink color myself... however, it is supposedly a better performer than Endless Summer - I have no idea about the validity of this claim though.

I'd rather have Annabelle too, but they simply will not grow here. So, with that in mind, what do you think of Blushing Bride as a way to have a white hydrangea? Thanks for your help!

I am not sure if Blushing Bride would make you happy, if you are looking for white flowers. The ones that I saw last year were all in pots. The blooms just looked "dirty" to me. They looked like "dirty" white blooms that just did not look right. That said, I really don't know how they would really look once they are established in the yard...

Have you thought of those snowball viburnums that have huge clusters of white flowers? I know, their blooms don't last for long, but they are quite spectacular and are often times mistaken by people as white hydrangeas! They will probably grow where you are, too!

Otherwise, I wonder if other people might have other ideas about other white hydrangeas that would work for you?

In zone 7b, you shouldn't have any trouble growing the best white of them all...Madame Emile Mouillere. It is the classic white mophead hydrangea, free flowering, beautiful and very hardy. Even possibly a second bloom in late summer/early fall on mature plants. Holds up to sun very well for a white and blooms last well and go through beautiful color changes as they fade. Very popular and widely available with good reason....yg

donnabaskets_
Don't understand why 'Annabelle' will not grow for you. Your Zone indicates that you do not live in the coastal region and wild populations of Hydrangea arborescens can be found throughout your state, except along the coast. It it because of the soil in your locale? For me, they don't seem to be very particular about the type of soil or location.
My 'Annabelle's grow in full summer shade under a very large Oak and Sourwood trees, appear very healthy and always provide a mass of blooms.
Just curious.
Rb

These are great suggestions! I will try Madame. I am not sure why Annabelle doesn't do well here. I have tried and failed, and every gardener I know has had similar experience. If anyone wants to sound off on this as to why, I'm all ears.

I just purchased 2 blushing brides and their blooms are bright white and comparable in color to the blooms on my Madame Emile Mouillere. As I understand it the blooms on the BB age to have a slight pink or blue tint depending on your soil. Mine have been white for a month.

I just purchased a few blushing brides this spring myself, planted them in the ground the first of April and they are taking off well.

They are all kind of spread out in the yard and are all growing differently (one is larger with no bloom yet, the other 5 have a couple big blooms each, but they are all a little different in color - no blue). Most are same color - the pretty pale pink (doesn't look like a dirty white at all - the pink is a corally pale pink and beautiful), but a couple are a little darker pink.

The soil acidity plays a huge part in what color your hydrangeas will turn out to be. Hydrangeas are acid loving plants - incase you are looking for a good fertilizer, I have found that QVC.com has a good one as follows:

Cottage Farms Bud 'N Flower Booster for Acid Loving Plants for $15.00 and will make 40 gallons of fertilizer and last you quite a while. You should get more color out of your BB's if you use a fertilizer like this.

My Blushing Bride has white mopheads and white mopheads fading to pink. It is my first season with it and I am quite happy. It must like the spot - morning sun then mostly shade until about 6PM then sun again. It does require very frequent watering though, as the leaves tend to droop if not watered in 3 days.

Good morning! Newbie, new gardener and Hydrangea nut here posting for the first time!

I bought what looked like a fairly mature Blushing Bride back in April from a local nursery. It was already well-budded, but I opted to containerize it until fall for a new patio. It's turned out to be absolutely spectacular. The mopheads are huge, so much so the plant is already flopping and even misshapen to the point where tying doesn't help. It is in almost all shade excepting a burst of late afternoon sun, and it's still putting up new buds like crazy. They're a very pure white, but I now see some pale pink tint emerging.

I've also planted two very small ones in the gardens, but will have to wait and see what develops!

Regards,
Bob

Here is a link that might be useful: My Potted Blushing Bride

I love the blushing bride. Gorgeous color and lovely blooms. Thought you might enjoy seeing a photo:

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This is all fascinating and I have enjoyed watching this all come together over the weeks. I went ahead and bought one, deciding the only way to really know was to try. Interestingly enough, mine is virtually all white. Much whiter than the (gorgeous) photo above. It is not liking our intense heat this summer, but then neither are alot of things. It's in partial shade all day and is still looking fairly wilted by mid afternoon. But, it's not scorching, so I think it will be alright.

donnabaskets,
My Blushing Bride was much much whiter than shown in the photo above(almost completely white), but it changes to this beautiful color as the blooms mature. As it ages even more it turns a darker pink then almost burgandy. So you have a lot to enjoy, and you can look forward to a variety of color with this lovely hydrangea.

Hi everyone - I realize that BB was a 2006 intro by Monrovia (not enough time for testimonials) - an ES variety - hopefully an improvement in several aspects as I'm not sold on the ES so far.

I was at a local nursery to see their Glowing Embers and saw this 5gal beauty of a BB with tons of buds in different stages & only 1 ovalisk shape full blossom in the sweetest powdery blue tint florets with a hint of yellow centers. She was quite pricey so I left and GE forgotten. I was back home for several hours and couldn't get over the beauty of the plant herself - healthy and the foliage sturdy and smaller than my ES' ... needless to say I called the nursery and put a hold on it ... please tell me I won't be sorry?

Hi Mohicansong, Donnab and all - I guess I won't be sorry huh<:- i went ahead and picked up beautiful miss bb a few buds are now opening just like the large ovalisk one that she came with hints of powdery blue ... ever so light is what see quite pleasing>I'm still studying the sun exposures in the sites I'm considering. The owner of the nursery suggested 3-4 hours of AM sun would be ideal - I have such a site but will get about 45min'ish of setting sun which will be OK I suppose. I have her in a very large pot and surrounded her original Monrovia 5gal pot with mulch to prevent drying. The florets on the fully opened bloom is not even changing to pink but some florets are getting some speckles ... hopefully just stress from the past few days of scourching heat.

Since BB is an ES improvement, I suppose F&E is also? In any case I'm quiet a bit impressed with F&E quite a sturdy bloom bearer she is!!! The 2nd one I have that has not shown a blossom must not be getting enough sun as the other, I'll move her to a similar sun exposure site.

This is their 2nd season when do you think would be a better time to relocate Fall or Spring? BTW what z are you at Mohicansong?

TIA <:->

Zone 7
I think you will be more than pleased with your Blushing Bride. I'll look forward to some photos soon.

Many thanks for posting your thoughts and experiences with this beautiful BB - like Bob I have decided to keep BB in very large plastic container (still in original 5gal pot set in the larger 10gal surrounded with cedar mulch) - so far she seems to be happy in there, until I set her in the ground.

Similar to Dirtdigger's sun exposure, BB will get (late) AM sun, dappled shade at midday and then again an hr of setting sun - most of her clusters of buds are opening up to the sweetest powdery blue around the edges. I wish I knew how to post photos <:- ... i have a few other hs love to post share>

I'm so glad to see the photos posted. My BB is so scrawny and has small buds and haven't really been satisfied with the color much either. So glad to see she has the ability to do better. She was a rescue....I guess I just need to be more patient.

Hi & greetings to all! - BB update ...

It's been ages, it seems - 'been wishing to tell about my BB that is most delightful!!! :-) She continued to mature to the powdery light blue as I originally posted and kept her in her original Monrovia 5gal pot inside a huge container surrounded with mulch, as I studied her chosen site for sun exposure. After mid Aug. I went ahead and set her in - in a matter of few days she proceeded her surge for more new buds, as the maturer earlier ones went thru their color changes ... amazingly delightful ... not a BB color of a young bride (more like a maturer bride) mauvish pinks and the earliest original blossoms were turning to lighter but merlot-ish color!!!

Now that the sun has slowly gone to his Fall angle the site's sun exposure has changed a bit but BB seems to adjust OK. Hopefully her 2nd season will be as productive ... I'll perhaps, protect her some, as I did ES and F&E on their 1st season, to try and save some of her sumptuous woods!

I'm in the process of relocating one of my F&E to a slightly sunnier AM exposure - the other 0ne gave me 2 huge blooms and this one just nice foliage and healthy woods.

Another aquisition this year is a new "Midnight Duchess" a Royal Majestics H series, a lacecap (no blossoms to report yet) and true to claim her distinctive purple black wood with glossy dark green foliage were impressive, 'can't wait for jury's verdict on bloosoms ... grew healthy since planting in end of June. I know that Ego45(in another thread) has a young one too ... eager to here from.

Thanks!

I really wish I knew how to post pics - perhaps should email to one of you and post for me (nice try huh)!

Amazing ephemeral wonders!!! This beautiful BB has not failed and made up for the disappointments I had on my 2nd season ESs. She (BB) produced more baby buds that continued to open to the original ever so powdery blue, gradually to powdery lavender and progress daily to the mature bride of merlotish colored beauties ... couldn't help taking photos for my garden journal ... for next season's reference points.

Bobmark226 - have you put your beautiful BB in the ground?

Mohicansong - how has your BB, in above photo matured ... eager to hear?

Donnabaskets - how about yours?

I'm still waiting to hear from someone with "Midnight Dutchess" - mine didn't bloom this first season but I'm happy with her beautiful & healthy growth!

'Hope to hear back from anyone - TIA!!!

Ditas, I don't have a "Midnight Dutchess", but do have a "Queen of Pearls" from the same series.
Since it's only first year in the ground no other comments except visual appearance I could offer.
I like it so far.
Flowers are white with a slight hint of metalic blue in them. They went thru the green-white-green stageas already and now in the red stage. Most interesting part of the first year observation is that I see several new buds formed and about to open now. Will this quality persist in a years to come or it's just a fluke has yet to be determined.
Very tight structure of the shrub makes me to like it.
So far :-))

Many thanks for your response, Ego ... makes me feel good, tho mine didn't produce any blooms. 'wonder if she received a bit more sun than the dappled sunbeams, would she have given out some? ... It is quite bright without direct sun in her site and she goes to occassional wilts when she needs a drink - 'am very pleased with her growth and sturdy look with many beautiful plump buds for next season! I'm keeping fingers crossed!

Thanks again!

I wish I knew how to post picture too. I've had a bloom that turned to a dark magenta sitting there for some time. Now I have, in addition to more blooms fading to pink, a bluish bloom fading to lavender all on the same plant. It's great. Only reason for a change in PH that I can figure out would be the addition of pine mulch recently. Mine gets morning sun and has required watering every day this summer to keep it from wilting. I am hoping when it gets more established it won't wilt as easily.

Bobmark226 - have you put your beautiful BB in the ground?

Sure did, Ditas, found a lovely spot for it in a large new garden area I had cleared in Spring, where it will live and flower happily (fingers crossed) along with a smaller one I got via the internet before I knew they were available locally. I bought a pair of those and gifted my helpful gardener next door neighbor with the other.

Thanks for asking, the Blushing Bride turned out to be a big "winner" for me this year!

Bob

Hi Bob - A winner indeed, she is!!! My lovely BB continued to put on her show since her move into the ground. We clipped a few blooms now and then, to bring in, ... sure enough she just simply branched out to give us more.

Just like Sunnytop's, the blooms just hang on as they mature to the merlot color or as her color description of deep magenta. I hope that I have chosen the right spot and she performs as wonderfully as she did this 1st season <:>Sunnytop - thanks for responding, since we are in the same zone & practically next door ... be nice to visit with each other now & then about our BBs ... perhaps about other Hs too.

I wonder if anyone would like to update on how some of these Hydrangeas worked out for them? I also wanted to mention that I have Annabelle and it flops so much and ends up on the ground after a good rain. I have resorted to giving it support, but I am considering replacing it with' Incrediball'. I wondered if anyone has experience growing that?