I sell Little Lamb, and have them in the display bed, and I really like it. The panicles are more dainty looking than PeeGee. And they seem to be loaded with flowers each year, no off years. I find all the Hydrangea Paniculatas hybridized by Jelena De Belder are winners. Ms. De Belder, who died two years ago, also hybridized Hydrangea Paniculata The Swan, Brussels Lace, Burgandy Lace, Unique, White Moth, and Pink Diamond. I think Little Lamb was one of her last ones. Bet that's more than you wanted to know. Polly

Thanks Polly!! I'm hoping to get away with only a few hours of morning sun for her. High shade the rest of the day. Sound ok??

Should be OK, put it the closest to more sun that you can get. I'm not sure what high shade in your situation is, but the paniculatas can get pretty big, Little Lamb about 6ft maybe more. But if it gets a few solid hours of sun, it should be good. Polly

Does anyone know if Little Lamb will do well in the rather foggy San Francisco Bay Area? I'll be putting it in partial shade near Limelight and a deciduous magnolia (Yulan) they tell me will stay rather compact in our climate.

If Limelight does well, Little Lamb should do just as well.

I'm growing both Little Lamb and Quick Fire in containers this year for our annual Mothers Day weekend fundraiser and find them both interesting and different.
Stems on Little Lamb wanted to sprawl rather than grow upright and are a bit wimpy in my observation. But each stem produced a gorgeous bloom. I gathered up the stems and tied them up hoping that would encourage more vertical growth.

Quick Fire is very robust, upright, thicker stems, great foliage, but did not flower. It also out grew the Little Lamb as far as overall size.

These plant were acquired as rooted cuttings from Spring Meadow Nursery, Little Lamb were in QT pots and Quick Fire in the small 2½ inch pot, both were planted in #600 containers using an amended Fafard Nursery mix, hand watered as needed and fertilized every 10 days using Peters triple 20. Root development is very good.

One plant of each was also planted in a garden setting and those pretty much mirrored what was observed in the nursery.

Also - I'm curious if anyone has some images of Quick Fire, other than the ones provided through Color Choice/PW, that show the whole plant and in bloom? If so, I am interested in obtaining some images.

Hi Marshall, I was very interested to see your observations of Quick Fire, and Little Lamb. I don't have Quick Fire yet, sounds wonderful, but I have Little Lamb in the 2 1/2 in size, planted in 1 gal, and did not have the sprawling. Last year I had the same problem with The Swan. I did tie them up when the shoots were young, and they did harden off over the winter, but still had more of a sprawly look to them than Limelight, Unique, and Pink Diamond. I did find gathering up and tying the stems definitely helped though. I didn't want to tie them too tight, for fear the ties would hurt the stems, but the ones I tied tighter look better. Polly

Polly, what's your experience with The Swam? I've had it on my "to grow" list for a couple years as I try and grow a different h. paniculata each year. About all I've ever seen of it is a small picture of a part of the bloom.

Marshall, we have really liked them, in fact next to Limelight, I think it's the favorite. The stems the first year, I find to be quite lax, spawling, if you will. However, tie them up as you said, and over the winter they harden and the next year the plant looks quite upright. The flowers are indeed very large, and they are full of flowers, even as young as the first season from the 2 1/2 in pots. I don't bother with the quarts with the paniculatas as they grow so fast. I get mine from Spring Meadows, mostly. Another thing about The Swan is that they are a little later blooming, start quite a bit later than Limelight here, but much earlier than Tardiva. Of the ones I grow, I would rate Limelight the best, The Swan next, then Pink Diamond, and Unique. Nice to talk to someone that grows the paniculatas from plugs. Polly

Thanks for the info Polly. I see you checked out my profile and you know what I do for a pastime. I've been growing on liners from Spring Meadow now for 6 years. I would like to tour their facility sometime. They've invited me up, but you know how that is - seems like there's never time.
Have you ever tried abelia mosanensis that they peddle? I tried it several years ago out of curiosity and that's one nice plant. Takes a couple years to hit it's stride, but the wait is worth it. Lots of small ballshaped clusters of flowers sorta mike a miniature viburnum carlcephalum with some red thrown in on the individual flower shaft. The flowers are somewhat fragrant as well. Then in the fall, the foliage turns a rosy-red color. Very hardy in these parts and rated zone 4 hardiness. Only problem I had with it is rabbits like to gnaw on it in the winter. Marshall

I have not tried the abelia, that's on my to try list for next year. Thanks, now a definite. I also am trying to work my way thru their viburnums. I've purchased now for five years from Spring Meadows, and really like them. I have actually had no other suppliers that can touch them for shrub liners. Polly

I purchased two LITLLE LAMBs a few weeks ago. They are doing well in sun from 11 AM to 5 PM and in shade the rest of the morning and evening. I love them, but I just noticed a few of the blooms are getting a pale pinkish color. Is this common and to be expected? I had hoped for total creamy white for the whole blooming season from my research of them before my purchase. Perhaps someone can answer my question. Also if I purchase an Annabelle, can I expect creamy white without any change in color to the blooms for the whole blooming season?

Update on my Little Lamb that I purchased last year. She is blooming and oh so pretty. I love the dainty white blooms. Too early to tell if they stay white Madcapper, and I don't quite remember from last year. I can tell you that Annabelle, at least mine, goes to light green eventually. Anyway, my Little Lamb is also growing wide and spralling rather than upright also. I might like this look since I have the taller ES and Annabelle in back.

In another location, do you think I could get by with some bloom on Little Lamb, Endless Summer, Limelight and Annabelle on a couple hours of sun from 2-3 pm and very high light shade the rest of the day??

Thanks,
Sandy

I saw this thread and has just taken a picture of Little Lamb yesterday so had to post. I think this is only it's second year and it is very small. The rabbits ate some of it this spring as well. Right now it looks more like a perennial than a shrub but I like it!!

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Beautiful picture. Can you tell me how much sun yours is getting and at what time?
Thanks, Sandy

A picture is worth a thousand words. Very pretty.

Thanks, Hay.

Thanks Sandy & Hay. Mine is pretty much in full sun. It may get a small amount of shade early in the morning. It's on the south side of my deck - the deck is on the west side of my house.

BEAUTIFUL pic Silvergold. In that grouping, it would look just great even if it never grew another inch!....yg

LOL yellowgirl - maybe the rabbits will get to it each year :)

Yellowgirl, we meet again. I'm thinkin' Little Lamb is a good alternative to the Endless Summers in my front yard...under the umbrellas. I'd love to hear that Little Lamb turns pink in the fall like so many other paniculatas...and as madcapper hinted. I'm looking for a diminutive PG...just can't get away from hydrangeas in the front. No other plant will make me happy, methinks.

Little Lamb is a wonderful addition to my garden. I bought two and love them. They did turn a pale pink and the blooms are long lasting. It stays smaller so may be just what you are looking for.

Hi lsimms - it does indeed turn pink.

Yippee, just what I wanted to hear. What a dummy, I posted again. And madcapper, hope you still love your Annabelles. I love their dried heads. I bought 6 more this summer to fill in the back of my garden for height. Thanks!

This is an old thread, but it's what started me in registering with this good looking gardening forum. I'm just planting a Little Lamb and it will get sun starting 2:00p.m. until around 6:00p.m., this is the high summer schedule, it will get less light in the Winter. It does get bright light though when in it's shade hours. Any more revelations on how the Little Lamb does in such little sun? I'm still scoping out the best place in my yard and have some choices, though the real all day sun spots are already taken. I'm in eastern PA. Thanks, DiegoJames

Welcome aboard, Diego!
Sun from 2 to 6pm will be more than sufficient for any paniculata to prosper. However, this will be the most hot part of the day, so your newly planted baby would definitely need good layer of mulch in a root zone and extra watering in a first year to get established and overwinter well.
BTW, winter lighting is irrelevant, it will be leafless then:-)

Hi: Thanks for the feedback on little lamb. I've been concerned about the shrub. After watching closer here is the sun schedule: From 9 -10a.m. most of the plant gets sun and then full sun 2 or 2:30 to 5:00, which still sounds like enough sun. But a good bit of leaves inside the plant are turning yellow and dropping and the plant does not look vigorous to me. It's become a bit leggy on the edges for leaf loss. There was something eating the leaves and I sprayed it with wide spectrum insect killer attached to water hose and I think the holes in leaves hasve slowed or stopped. It's in a bed with a good layer of mulch. It is developing flower buds. It is planted three feet from a cinderblock wall of the garage building and I wonder if the soil is always damp and causing problems? Does the little lamb or hydrangeas in general take time to be happy in it's transplant?

Hi Diego - I have, every year found yellow leaves that would just drop - mostly internal ones that don't get much light or just suffer due to the plants' energies used up in producing buds. I have learned not to worry too much. The fact that your little guy is forming buds, be they leaf or blooms, is a good sign!

Luis, from this forum suggested sticking your finger a few inches around the plant to check if soil is still wet (I use a short stick as I don't like touching slimy critters). I have a few Hs that some critters have created clean cut holes - could be slugs or earwigs, as we have had some really wet May & June.

Some of mine have taken 2 wks-a month to get over, planting shock, particularly those planted in hot days. Just make sure to check not to get LL too soggy & hang on to your receipt just in case.

IMHO your little guy will do just fine! Â:)

Diego, I transplanted my poor Little Lamb not just once, but TWICE last season! It did just fine. I made sure that it was well-watered every time I moved it. Now, since yours is developing buds, I assume that it is still doing OK still! Please bear in mind that Little Lamb seems to be a slower grower than the other paniculatas, if the growth rate is what you are concerned about. Mine did not show much growth after the transplantation last year, and it did drop some leaves after the transplant, but this season, it is doing beautifully. Enjoy!

Thanks ditas and ostrich: I'm sure you're right and that the shrub is fine. I'm probably comparing it to others that seemed to grow faster, almost like a weed is my butterfly bush growing newly planted, and the Little Lamb never acted like it was taking off nor looking suddenly vitalized by acclimation. It's got buds all over it though. My little yard is a part of a major renovation project, the whole house inside and out, and after four summers when the yard has been on hold for outside construction, I've now gotten garden beds cut and mulched all around and the yard is like a blank palate ready for it's new identity. Choosing the shurbs and planting them of course starts this process; and I also have moved a second time two of my new plant friends as the design develops which is also centered around optimal light conditions for each shrub. I have so far: Hishiki willow bush and lilac both well developed over two years now, and the new entries last month were: glossy leaf abelia, itea - little henry, and the little lamb, and the purple butterfly bush. I'm really enjoying this yardventure and seeing how each shrub leads the development of the design...... Thanks for listening and have a nice 4th weekend..,,

Diego - Buddleia/Butterfly Bush grows a foot a day ... I'm exaggerating ... but trust me, they practically zoom right before your eyes! I have 2 of them that brought Monarchs, Swallow Tails etc ... great fun indeed!

A clean slate is wonderful, in this day of modern media ... mistakes still happen but these garden forums are the greatest!!!. Face lifting an old piece of soil isn't as easy, physically as well as emotionally!

So have a great many days of fun dirt digging!!! Â:)

I recently visited VA and had a chance to see as never before a Little Lamb Hyd. & fell in love. I am a novice @ Hyd's in general but trying to get started. Anywone have any words of wisdom for my zone 10, Houston, TX, and this jewel?

Diego, I'm glad you mentioned that this is an old thread. I hadn't picked up on that, and as I was reading my way though it I wondered how I had missed 30 posts on Little Lamb!

I planted my LL this year, and a rabbit cut it down to the ground. It was suggested (here, I think) that the plant might recover as long as it had roots, so I put some fencing around it and left it alone. Sure enough, it has sprouted some leaves. Fingers crossed.