Seems to be a new introduction this year, which may explain the lack of replies to your post. Turned up on my radar, too, but have yet to meet one in person. Drawn in by touted characteristics of early panicles on upright stems that arch without flopping while bearing full-sized blooms on a compact shrub of 7x7'. Red stems would add Winter interest - added plus for 4-season presence.

Still no paniculatas in this garden (though plenty of Annabelles in the neighborhood grown into tree form), been watching the recent candidates & feedback reports with high interest. If I'd been in your shoes, believe Fire Light would have come home with me!

Just to confuse the issue, Fire Light is sometimes condensed to Firelight & there's a mac mophead of the same name long in commerce. Searching Hydrangea paniculata Fire Light or Firelight doesn't turn up much info as yet. Pretty much the standard publicity releases from Proven Winners, with a few other merchandisers' sites providing more detail. Appears the registration name is SMHPFL.

Here is a link that might be useful: Fire Light

This post was edited by vasue on Wed, Jul 16, 14 at 12:30

Bought 10 recently and the blooms are to die for. Color, form and
size make this a game changer for us cut flower people.

Can you post pictures of those blooms?

Hi-
Sorry this isn't the best pic as we had a small frost. Some of the great attributes of this plant are: Strong reddish stems, vigorous, large petals, more rounded flower shape, dense petals and great color.
Has small and large blooms held upright. Reminds me of silver dollar petals and vanilla strawberry stem color.

Fire Light planted this sparing:

How pretty! Man!

I love this bright shade of pink! Lovely!

I just visited a local nursery that got a shipment of tree-form (aka, standard) F&L's!!! Starting to flower and the few sepals were white.

If anyone is in charlottesville va area - I have 10 fire lights, 76 limelights, 26 vanilla strawberry and 8 Phantom in bloom. 434-242-3136 if you want to see

Very beautiful, greengo, love those pink blooms.

flowercutter, if I were in your area I would love to see your hydrangeas.

This is my new rounded form of Limelight. Will post Firelight pics tomorrow.

How odd. Do all the blooms in the plant do that or just that single one? I see panicle-like on the pic but not other round ones (maybe it is too hard to tell). Where did the shrub come from?

Such an abundance of beauty to see as you walk about your grounds. Thanks for sharing it.

Fire Light today, September 8. The color is more red than pink, though on the photo it turned out rather pink:

Wow, how different from what I am seeing here. I have been "monitoring" some FL blooms in tree form that a nursery has but they are pure white blooms... still. Talk about forcing them to bloom late!?!?

This one opened pure white too back in July.

Found the picture of the same above FL taken on July 24, 2015:

My Firelight today

Flowercutter how do you keep the deer from eating you hydrangeas?

I do not have many deer fortunately but as soon as I see damage I use 'liquid fence deer and rabbit repellent.' Smells like rotten eggs. Deer tend to leave the flowers alone and go for the new leaves.

many of my hydrangeas are 10 ft tall - mostly out of reach of deer.

Flowercutter, love your photos - thanks for sharing them. I purchased a beautiful fire light yesterday for $14.99 and may go back for more. August 14th you said "this is my new rounded form of limelight" and posted a photo, may I ask, is it a little lime hydrangea?

That's great. What size? I bought 50 - 3 gallon size this week cost me $15.50 per. Also bought 50 Zinfin Doll. Very nice plant. The rounded form was a sport of a Limelight.

Oh, I am jealous now! My fire light is only a gallon size, but it is a beautiful plant. May I ask what you do with all your blooms...do you sell them fresh or dried. Your yard must be lovely! I'm just starting my collection. I have a couple limelights, 5 original endless summer (just planted and hoping to maintain purple/blue), the fire light; which doesn't have a home yet, and have been trying to determine if I want to proceed with a mass planting of little lime. Do your little limes' blooms turn the same white that the limelights do at some point. All that I see in garden centers seem to go from green to pink to brown and I really want that white. Maybe they mature sooner because they're in pots in full sun. I just want to be assured that they truly have the same flower habit as the big limelight. Enjoy this beautiful autumn day!

Hi Jdgal

my experience with little lime is very green to green/pink. No white. Part shade. There is bobo that may work.

i grow to cut for florists and wholesalers. and (friends). May also start shipping via fed ex out of the area.

i hope to cut 100,000 hydrangea blooms in 2016 with now close to 1,000 hydrangeas scattered over several properties. My yard is pretty.

New hydrangea paniculata that I LOVE-

Zinfin Doll

check it out

This is a bloom on Zinfin Doll before turning red. The flower coloring is similar to Vanilla Strawberry but the petals are more tightly packed

it is very pretty, how long is it's blooming period in it's white phase?

You must be very busy in the summer months with your business! It sounds extraordinary! We farm a couple thousand acres of cash crops and I think we are busy at harvest, but keeping up with the many varieties and their different blooming stages plus orders & shipments must keep you going. I never gave it a thought where my favorite flowers come from. Where are you located?

Just picked up the Zinfin so don't know yet how long it stays white but I would guess about two weeks. I am in Charlottesville Virginia. You do a couple thousand acres? That is incredible! What I do is tiny in comparison. i am just beginning to expand this year. All I do is hydrangea so not that complex. The big thing is staggering bloom time, but I have a few tricks

We bought our last semi trailer in Vansant, Va last winter. If I get down that way again, I would love to see your gardens. Thank you so much for your help. I wish you much success in your business endeavor. Enjoy your weekend

I love Firelight! It starts blooming early and puts on a nice display.

Can someone in Zone 5 tell me when your Fire Light hydrangea start to bloom? I would like to get one but would like something that blooms early like my Bobo or Quickfire.

Sheridan Nursery has all hydrangeas on sale with 20% off. The closest location to me has only two of these left...so if I don't make a decision soon they might disappear! :)

Thank you!

It is blooming now with white flowers... it will take another few weeks for it to turn pink, then another few to turn red.

Mine has started to bloom this past week. Really nice white flowers right now.

Is firelight the best Paniculata out there?

I like it but thee are seveal I like. Limelight, Pinky Winky, Bobo, Little Lime, Little Quickfie

I agree, those are all great varieties.

I ended up picking up a few firelights because from what I saw, at least at the nursery, the size of the flowers, density of the petals and color seemed to bring the best of the various paniculatas into one plant.

I the coming years i'll find out how it performs in the garden.

I just got one as well!

Firelights Planted!

What happened to them? They look like they've drooped to the ground... not good! Was thinking of planting this in front of my home near the entrance as a focal point... a specimen in its own right... thoughts?

No need to get nervous. A young plant’s wood is not strong enough to hold upright the heavy flowers. This issue will take care of itself as plant matures.

how are yours doing now? Would you plop one of these in front of your walkway as a specimen? How big willmone get? I'm seeing 6x6 but real world?