Ah Ha!!! So that's what that pot full of sticks has been doing for the past 3 years. It's waiting. For hell to freeze over???

Andrea

Andrea, that 'pot full of sticks' is not suitable for container growth. Unless you have it in a 100G+ pot where root system could grow large enough to support 20'+ vine.
If yours is in a pot for the last 3 years roots are extremely pot bound and overall health of the plant is in danger.

Mine is blooming for the first time after about 5 years in the ground. It's climbing up a fir tree and is about 15 feet long (tall?).

boy am i glad i jumped over here from the hosta forum!! i was just formulating the exact same question as beth. and now i know the answer! this is also the 3rd season for mine and nary a bud to be found but everything else is so healthy looking. i have to say mine hasn't grown much taller. but it's a lot wider and fuller looking...growing up the trunk of a spruce tree. so thanks to all for asking and answering the question!
white violet

I keep hearing too that they don't like to bloom until they hit the top of whatever they're growing up the side of. So if they're growing up a wall or the side of your house, they don't like to bloom till they hit the top, then something tells them "okay I can quite climbing now, I'll think I'll bloom."

I keep hearing this from growers but wonder if it's really all that true?

Creech444,

I don't think I buy that theory. Mine had a bloom (a fluke I know) this spring on a branch that was just sticking out and not climbing anywhere on a small plant. This plant can grow indefinately so according to that theory, they would never bloom........yg

The branches that are held horizontally off the plant are the ones that bloom.

Creech444 - not true :-) Mine is growing up a 100+ foot Doug fir and is nowhere near the top and blooms vigorously. As happyhoe has pointed out, short laterals extending from the climbing stems bear flowers. They do take time to establish and mature to blooming size but well worth the wait.

we have one that has to be 20 feet up a red Oak and still going and is full of blossoms. Interesting it only hugs the north side of the oak. The one on our front porch took 3 years before blooming

Wow, I didn't know I would have to wait so long to see blooms. I planted one this year. It is growing and attaching well, but now is only five feet up the oak tree. Does anyone know what the lowest temperature it will take and still live. What type of mulch it will need, etc.

This particular hydrangea is about 10-11' tall and 6'+ wide.
It is in a ground for 7-8 years now and could of be much higher if owner (no, it's not my garden) wouldn't cut portion of the top growth every other year in order to promote side (blooming) growth:
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can anyone id the vines growing up the trellis by the climbing hydrangea? what about the pyramidal evergreen? thanks!

BTW it's not true that climbing hydrangea can't thrive in a pot. It definitely can if the pot (or other container) is a big one. I live in Manhattan, I have one, and there are maybe half a dozen others just within a few blocks, and they're all doing fine. They won't get so big, but here you wouldn't want them so big here, would you?

I have had mine for about a year and a half and one is blooming and the other one has brown ends and is not blooming... this particular one, the one that isnt blooming is surrounded by Hosta, would this be the cause of the lack of blooms?????????????/

Thank God I found this forum! I have two climbing hydrangeas that have been growing in boxes for 3 full summers climbing a trellis. I apparently need to get them out of there because they are way too small. Is there any way to transplant it from the boxes and save the plant and the trellis?

I think I have the same issue as the other Beth. But my hydrangea seems to be covered in deadheads, without ever having bloomed this year. I planted it last year, while it was in full bloom. It has grown quite a bit since last year, and all the deadheads are new growth. Is the answer the same? Do I just need to give it another year or two?

Here is a link that might be useful: photos of my climbing hydrangea

I just figured out how to put the photo directly in the post so you don't have to follow the link in my last post.

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well, mine has been in the ground for around 10 years !!!! It is 30 ft up a pine tree, and still no blooms. But the good news is this is the first yr, that I have lateral branches, so maybe it will bloom ????????? I can always hope. I have great patience. I waited for a purple wisteria ,that I grew from seed, for over 10 years to flower, And boy was it worth it.

I purchased a climbing hydrangea on a sale table two years ago. It was in poor condition but the price was right. I overwintered it in my cool greenhouse, then planted out the following spring. It didn't do much other than put on a few leaves. This spring it began to leaf out nicely and about a month ago it looked like this.

Now, it has also put up new runners on the brick, some being 15-16 inches long and is already putting out new side growth on the new runners, as seen in the second photo taken yesterday. The wall it is on is N-NE and is bright/high shade most of the growing season.

Because of all the helpful information I've gotten from GardenWeb, I knew it would be slow to establish but I have to say I'm pleasantly surprised at the amount of growth it's put on this spring. I've never seen one in a garden so I'm really looking forward to seeing a real bloom someday. This plant has interestng bark and the leaves turn a most perfect shade of yellow in the fall.

An excellent all season plant for the garden! When it becomes established, you will be so happy you planted it.

Mary

I have established a hydrangea vine from the ground on a 6' trellis against a stone wall of the house near my garage door to soften and provide some greenery there. It hasn't bloomed in about 4 years or so, but it is growing vigorously and sending leaders in all directions from the trellis and attaching to the sandstone of the house. I understand they do well in shady conditions but it is now reaching into the sunlit portion of the house. Will this affect blooming? I have been patient and will continue to be.

No, once it reaches the top of whatever they are climbing, they tend to start blooming more than before. That usually means the top of a building, top of a tree or the top or end of a fence.

I planted a climbing hydrangea last Spring and it has grown profusely and is climbing. I live in Philadelphia, PA and it gets a western exposure - I live on5 feet the east side of the street. It is climbing up the north side of a wall. The part of the plants on the ground are blooming well, but there are no blooms on the wall. The length of the wall is 5 feet and the plants have reached the top. Why should this happen?

When we moved to this house there was an hydrangea climbing all over the steps to an unused entrance. I cut it back so we could use it and it bloomed the first year or so but has not bloomed in the last three or four years. It's in a place between the steps and a wall. Hope someone can tell me what I can do to get it started blooming again. It is on the north side of the house.

I would encourage the plant to start climbing the stone wall, and just trim back where it encroaches on the stairs or other areas where it is in the way. Being on the north side shouldn't be an issue since it is fine in shade, and yours looks to be bright shade, so I have a feeling that it just needs to do a bit of growing and get larger. Once it has a bit of size and is happy again, it will begin to bloom regularly I think.

Thanks! I'll try that.

This is one side, with the help of a husband who loves me. It didn't like the idea of clinging to the wall. Do you think this will work?

I imagine it will reach over toward the wall. You will need to trim around the windows. It clings over time, setting out root-like structures from the stem that work a bit like suction cups to hang on to the wall. But it needs time to grow the hold-fasts. In the photo below you can see some of the hold-fasts along the larger stems.

Do the "hold fasts" of these plants not damage masonry walls?

I have always wanted to own one but have also heard not to allow these types of vines to grow on masonry as they dig into and damage mortar.

And trees- do they not damage the health of the tree? I have many old oaks and hickories that could serve but don't want to do anything to compromise the health of the trees.

Is six foot tall fencing enough of a vertical surface?

To be precise, climbing hydrangeas do not produce holdfasts. They attach - and not all that securely - via aerial rootlets that emerge along the stems. They are best when grown against a rough surface so that the rootlets have something textural to grip. That's why you often see these growing up brick or stone chimneys, along wooden fences or up into trees. The solid smooth surface of a concrete wall - like in the photo - often needs a support system at least initially to get the climber established. I had clients that wished to grow these up a 6' concrete retaining wall and we used high test fishing wire as an initial supporting structure.

While the roots can leave a residue on walls or masonry when removed, they do not penetrate into the mortar or between joints like a plant with actual holdfasts might do. And as long as the tree is sized appropriately to support such a large and heavy (eventually) climber, the hydrangea should not pose any issue for the tree. I grew mine up a very large Doug fir that had been limbed up about 25 feet. Even given that the rough texture of tree trunk made for a great attachment 'base' and the hydrangea was well established, a good windstorm would still find branches of the hydrangea loose from their moorings. If I could reach, I'd either reattach or prune off but if too high, I just left them be. NBD.

A 6' wooden fence makes a pretty good support, although the taller the support system, the more the climber is really able to show its stuff. At my current residence, there is one growing along the top (and partially through) a 4' vinyl coated chain link fence (not my choice - was there when I moved) and makes a decent disguise for this less than attractive feature.

a more recent comment Ismy question as to whether there are any new theories as to how to get them to bloom. I may be at the 5 year mark 2016 now in May in Michigan. I initially planted two smaller vines which are now maturely covering my shed and a neighboring oak tree. When do they bloom? I do not see anything on the leaves as shown in the attached video.

I can't see the video - live in a rural area with s-l-o-w internet. I think my climbing hydrangea started blooming in year 6 or 7, but it won't start blooming for another month here. These plants really do take longer than many plants to bloom and certainly than any other hydranea I've grown. Gardening is a lesson in patience. As long as the foliage is healthy, I wouldn't worry - it will bloom when it is ready as opposed to when you are. ;>)

After I put mine up on the trellis I did notice about 4 flowers come on. They may have been there before I put it up but I just couldn't see them.

This is ours in Memphis, after being planted for just two months. Before and after shot. Planted April 3rd, facing N/NE, watered daily. We are very pleased! (not sure why the pic won't load).

Mine is planted on the N side of a limestone garage, Planted at least 5 years ago and has never bloomed. If it has to reach the overhang from the roof I doubt I'll ever see a bloom! Foilage is great. Is there a fertilizer that encourages blooming? Does Epsom salt work? Thanks for answers!

Your description does sound like CH is doing what it is notorious for... waiting to bloom until it reaches the top of that which it is growing on.

High phosphorus levels in other plants encourage blooming but I just do not know if the plant will respond like roses do for example. Epsom salts mostly contain magnesium and some Sulfur.

By the way, I am not sure how well the small tendrils will do trying to climb limestone rocks in your garage. Maybe someone has already tried and can chime in.

I wouldn't worry and I doubt that it needs to find the top of its support as it didn't for mine, and it certainly hasn't for my friend who has it growing up a large oak. Both bloomed before it hit the top of the support.

Mine took over 5 years to bloom, although it had climbed nearly the entire height of a dead ash tree. I'm guessing 6-7 years because I was feeling very impatient. If you can, just stop looking at it. Find something else to distract you!

I have a climbing hydrangea that I've had for 20 years. It is big and healthy, but has never bloomed. I would love it if someone can suggest something that I can do to dazzle the neighbourhood with its beauty.

Wow, 20 years is a LOT of time without having blooms. Can you tell us more about the plant and its care? Maybe a few pics. But may I suggest creating your own separate post?

What are these white hair like things growing out of my stems on this climbing hydrangea?

Is it diseased? I have had not flowers for 4 years

Those are rootlets used to cling to surfaces. As for blooming, they can take several years…be patient.

tj