I think hydrangeas also like acidic soil. Your soil is probably fairly alkaline, so the hydrangeas will be susceptible to iron chlorosis. You may be able to combat it with chelated iron (probably want to use EDDHA instead of EDTA). If you can plant it in a planter or something, you might be able to lower the pH of the soil with soil sulfur. It might be difficult to permanently change the pH of the soil near the downspout, but it might not be as high there as I fear.

Hydrangeas will survive around here as a house plant, or maybe outside in the summer. But they'll dry up in the winter. I think they're native to costal areas or something with high humidity.

Yep, we are super alkaline. I have some sequestrene iron and will toss some in the planting hole.

David, I think you are probably right about winter dehydration. The pot is sitting in a plastic box, and every day I put in a half inch of water and it sucks it all up. It has been perfectly happy on my sunny patio (I have been suprised the flowers stayed green in the heat).

Guess I might as well plant it and see what happens. If it croaks, at least I will have a nice planting hole prepared for something else. :-)

Cheers,
Michelle

I have a Hydrangea growing quite happily in my xeriscape mulch.
I've had to water it more frequently in the heat, but it lets me know it's thirsty by wilting.
It's in mostly shade.
Can't remember it's name but it's greenish white.
It's wintered over for me (and gotten larger) for 4 years.
Never browns

Hi Michelle,

I dont have any idea what variety I haveÂit was in when I moved in hereÂbut mine seems to do fine as long as itÂs kept watered quite a bit. And itÂs on the south side of the house where it gets sun almost all day. The flowers start out green as theyÂre developing, and then turn white. IÂve never had my soil analyzed, so I donÂt really know, but I assume itÂs very alkaline. I rarely feed mine anything, but use a little water soluble 20-20-20 when I do, occasionally, feed it. Have never tried to acidify the soil, and havenÂt had a problem with chlorosis. But itÂs my understanding that the main benefit of having acidic soil for hydrangeas is that (like blue roses) it intensifies the color for the blue ones. Mine might be a give-away at the Fall Swap next year! The problem is that the flower heads are so big and heavy, that any water at all on top of them after theyÂve developed, and theyÂre totally bent over and impossible to save. This year I got a peony cage to see if it was possible to "save" them, and when they grew past the top of that, I kept tying them higher and higher to try to support them. In spite of the fact that it was tied right up to the bottom of the flowers, when I got about 20 minutes of an "average" rain one day, the whole thing was flopped down to the ground, and most of the stems were broken. They bloom on new growth, so IÂve been cutting them all the way down to the ground each year. One year, hoping to develop stronger stems, I left the old growth on about 18" high, But the next year it developed even weaker stems along the old stems. It didnÂt work at all.

Here are before and after pictures. It sure was fun to walk by and "pet" it for the couple weeks it looked really good!

ItÂs starting to grow some new foliage again now, which IÂll cut down after a good freeze in fall/winter.

Because the flower heads dry beautifully if they survive to dry on the plant naturally (they dry light brown), I was hoping they might dry if I hung them, so I spent a couple hours out in the near 100 degree heat tying each stem so IÂd have a way to hang it, but it didnÂt work! Since they werenÂt able to dry naturally on the plant, they wilted before they dried. The picture is of only a few of them on one side of the carÂmost were hung on the other side. There were almost 40 flower heads.

Considering all the work it took to keep them tied and wateredÂand how very disappointing it is when they "flop," unless I can find a practical way to keep them upright in rain, itÂs outta here!

I see at the site below that ÂLimelight is supposed to get up to 8'! DonÂt know how you might try to tie something like thatÂand wish I had some recommendations for you. Mine was just a little over 4'.

Gotta go! Good luck,
Skybird

PlantladyCo, glad to hear yours is happy in a xeriscape situation. I will give mine a lot of mulch.

Skybird, those photos are pretty! I have read that it can flop. You mean I can't get an 8' tall peony ring? Drats. Coincidentally, I do have an 8' tall post right at that spot for my winter deer 'fence' (baling twine with plastic bags tied to it, it does spook the deer away). Guess I could tie it if I had to. I wonder how it would do as an espalier if I put a hogpanel behind it? That might be fun.

:-) Michelle