NH Babs- (voles, ugggh!!! They ate about 20 of my roses over the winter plus some Banana Cream daisies and echinacea.)

I have a question on your Little Quickfire- How big does it get and when does it turn red? I'm looking to plant these with some Blush Knockouts which do well in less light than my more finicky roses. I would like a hydrangea that stays relatively small- 4 feet or so and stays white for a while before turning red.

Thanks for any info.

Sharon

I've got hostas, fuzzy-leaved rudbeckia, carpet rose, a little ES Original and daisy as companions. There's also some cranesbill nearby and the annuals are New Guinea Impatiens.

Sharon, I have regular QF, not LQF. It reaches about 6' unpruned, and info I have seen says that LQF gets to 4'-5'. QF starts blooming for me just at the end of June and stays white for several weeks. It slowly shifts color over the month of August and is fully deep pink by sometime around Labor Day. I don't know how similar LQF is.

QF has a bit of a hint of salmon to the color, so if your blush roses have a slight blue tint to the pink I don't know how they will look together.

Your comment about shade . . . My QF grows in full sun in a bed that doesn't get watered since it has been a couple years old and established. In shade the H. paniculatas like QF aren't as dense and don't bloom quite as well. They like at least a half day of good sun, the more the better in zone 5.

Thanks for the info. I might have to rethink this. I have some Annabelle Hydrangeas that could work with heavy pruning to keep them smaller. Thanks for the heads-up on color. That might be an issue too.

Sharon

I will modify my height estimate for regular QF. Mine is still gaining height, though much slower, so I wouldn't be surprised if it reaches 9-10'.