I'm assuming they're paniculatas (cone-shaped) that bloom on new wood, rather than macrophyllas (round)? I got a grand total of one bloom on a macro and five on a lacecap. My cone-shaped ones, however, are just showing their white buds. Plus, my oakleaf hydrangea's just coming into bloom. I'm in north central CT.

These are definitely round . Do Annabelle and/or Incrediball bloom this early?

I'm in 6 a MA and my annabelles began to bloom 2 weeks ago.

Oakleafs "PeeWee" and Alice began a week and a half ago and (maybe) Strawberry Vanilla is blooming but still white.

Paniculata "Quickfire" and a noid paniculata are budded up. Will probably be in full bloom within a week.

It is not late for hydrangeas!

So the Anabelles are the ones I've been seeing! Will be adding those to my list....

Thank you

Annabelles and other H. arborescens like similar conditions to big leaf/macrophylla Hydrangeas - all the blue ones such as Nikko or Endless Summer - even moisture and shade during the midday and afternoon.

The H. paniculata cultivars like more sun; mine are mostly in all day sun in settings where they get little to no moisture that the sky doesn't deliver, but they will be okay with some shade. The earliest start blooming around now, but there are types that don't open until August. Most have dense cone-shaped panicles of flowers, but some are more rounded or more lacy.

Thank god for my Annabelles in years when the spring cold kills all my Endless Summer buds! Mine are in full bloom now.