Yes the leaves turn, but I have trimmed mine completely back! lololol

debra

This is what mine will look like all winter.

I always like to leave anything that will act as a 'snow fence' to cause snow to settle, during winter. :-)

Oh, and now that I've gotten a positive identification from a hydrangea expert. ;-)

I finally got the plant tag made for my 'Limelight'.

(Someone would have to come with up with concrete information before I'll change this one). haha!

Oops!

Guess I forgot to do the pruning altogether. Oh well...It all gets snipped back to the trunk this spring anyways. :-)

If you get a lot of snow or lake effect snow, consider deadheading early.

I was frustrated with my limelight flopping. I stopped pruning and the flopping stopped.

We've had a lot of heavy wet snow in the last few weeks and the only hydrangea to break was Darts Little Dot which looks like Quickfire. My unpruned Berry White and Limelight, the flower heads just snapped off, but the structure is fine.

My only paniculata is the one pictured above so I can't make any comparisons.

It looks like I wouldn't have had to worry about catching snow this winter. If it stopped snowing now, for the rest of the winter, it would be fine with me! :-)

Kewel Experiment Bill. I did same/similar. Dug a LL out. Cut all the stems flush and left one...

Mainly as growers/nurserys only offer grafted and instead of branching at one head height, I wanted *2 levels* of branching.

Things I learned and I am starting all over again. Start the leader only if the cane is the head height you want. Mine was a bit short but I was thinking since I did not lop the tip off, it would continue to grow vert *which it didn't*.

I noticed that too. This plant is not predisposed to a central leader.

My plant popped up again after some thawing days and sunshine, but the most upright stem is growing ~4" below the very top of the main stem.

I have a feeling this is going to be a multi-year project. :^)

I saw one somewhere with a trunk about 5ft. tall. The blooms still drooped but being they sprouted up so high on the trunk, it looked very nice with dozens of blooms hanging that high above the ground.

it get's better with age as the new stems grow out thick and strong. They do end up lopping after a summer soaked rain soaked blossom head. Rain aside, strong stems don't flop as much

The top part of that main stem in ur pic - just cut it right. Nothing going to grow much out of it. All the energy is going the side shoots. At what height is your head starting, It looks awefully low in pic #1.

Bill. Have you seen the LimeLight Primes. I'm growing one out just to see......it was toughted as stronger stems. Smaller than LL in spec. I saw Prime 2 seasons ago and it was immediately noticable. The stems were red, but the noticable difference was even in a 3G or 2G pot (aka, still a young one), each stem was quite ridgid vert

I'm growing one out now to see how vert it remains on a rain soaked head

I believe there are 'Tree Form' hydrangeas for sale on the market. I think they are cultivars with thicker stems and don't droop like the bush forms do.

I started this one from an existing shrub that was here when I bought the place.

I mowed it off the first few years because it was shooting from the root base where they had cut it level to the ground to make room when rebuilding the house.

So, it's just a 'Free' shrub I decided to play around with, only a couple/three feet tall since I moved it to the back yard about 3 years ago.

Oh, yes, the tree form paniculatas can also droop and “very well” too, based on the pictures posted here in the past. I have seen Vanilla Strawberry and Limelights Tree drooping a lot.

That's good to know luis,

My NDN just planted a Vanilla Strawberry tree last fall. I was getting a little envious. Now I think I'll just wait and see. :-)

Flopping occurs late in the season. If you think can live with some flopping at the end of summer or in fall, on years when inclement weather promotes this issue, get one and enjoy. Or get Pinky Winky in tree form. PW flops very little as its blooms are not huge.

8-10-2023:

Fwiw: I thought I'd post a pic of my H. paniculata this season.

Still gets long branches that are destined to flop but has gained height and trunk girth.

The dry season has slowed down and reduced blooming.

I'll just let it go and not expect too much. Even if it flops, its higher off the ground than it was originally. Maybe in about 5 years I'll have it where I want it. ;-)

8-23-2023:

With Hilory only giving us a cloudy morning and a few misty sprinkles in the air it has been as I suspected, the dry season and my inattentive watering practices, left the blooming asynchronous. I got full blooms and blooms that are just starting to expand.

But it's all growth to give me another season of shaping the plant.

;-)

9-14-2023:

Well, the smaller blooms kept most of the branches from drooping too much and the ones that did droop were higher off the ground than before. This was after 1/2" of rain.

Probably all I can hope for with this, but it was a free plant so nbd. ;-)

Hey Bill - I thought this might have been asked and skimmed the thread with no luck

How high is the main trunk before it starts branching. Looks awefully short but pics can be misleadng

It is rather short.

I left some of the side branches along the trunk to grow, in hopes the plant would increase it's girth. The top of the trunk is still too skinny to support much, so I'm trying to be patient.

The tube around the trunk is ~16-18" and top of the trunk is more like 36" so I'm working on it.

FWIW, most of the nurseries around here have the trunk at 32-36 so it's not beyond the norm...

I'm started to grow my own standards to replace existing ones - by establishing the right stem length before I start the head .....these short lollipops I've planted are coming out one day. Shooting to start them at least another foot more

However, it does take a good solid 4 years before it roots it to the point where one can remove the stake on some of these heavy floppers, I have one that while looks straight once in full bloom , once dormant with leaves off, the trunk is at a 70% angle as all the blooms in it's 1st intial growing years stretched towards the sun (and I had 3 stakes on it as such to keep it vert the entire season)

Most of the sprouts wanted to push out of the side of the trunk. I did pinch some lower ones off.

The very top of the trunk was still quite narrow and a bit shorter than I wanted, so I tied up a branch from last year to a stake to make the trunk taller, but that one is still very thin.

A multi year project for sure.

I'll post up once the leaves fall so you can see it and tell me the best avenue to go. :-)

I looked at you picture again - it looks really short . For clarity, when you said 36, is that where the start of the branching begings or are you saying it's 3 feet tall from soil to current branching height.

My 32-34" reference is where its the top of the main stem and where branching starts

Yes, mine is 36" to where I hope branching will begin.

I got a few new branches to start at the top this season, but most new branches wanted to start and grow the best from out the sides of the trunk, lower down, below the very top of the trunk.

I just figured I'd have to let them grow but then next year I'll maybe force the new branches to come higher up, if that's possible.

Just to add: The pink flower in the middle of the first picture, will be the new trunk.

If you look close, you can see the stake tied to it to keep it up straight.

I think I have a stake further down too on the trunk so it wouldn't bend that with all the weight.

eta: In the second picture, you can see that pink flower stem is bent over at the top but that's well above the 36" trunk height.

a1an,

This picture will give you a better idea of the height of things.

I don't have a picture from last spring when I pruned up some old branches.

The tube is only 12" high.

The 22" height is from a couple of years ago, when I decided to try this. I bent up the closest branch from the 22" mark an that's now the trunk between 22" and 32"..

It's still fairly slim but starting to get some girth.

Last spring, I bent up another at the 32" point after adding another stake.

So, I think it's just a matter of time (I think) as these increase in girth.

Flower turns pink as they age. ;-)

OK. I see what you're saying....I suppose you could cut every single branch except the one that you have that is the -new branch- that will be your leader ontop of the existing stem. Looks a bit wonky though...

And a spiteful wind can blow it hard enough that it may snap at the 22" mark...

Not trying to dissuade you , but this time of the year, maybe now, maybe in a month from now or any day when the *ad goes up*, trees/shrubs etc are generally on sale as the nurseries don't want to hold them going into next years Season.

If you have your heart set on a treeform, maybe just buy one now. I was at the nursery today. Lots of standard, nice thick grown trunk with some decent branching on it.

Yes, you're right.

And I really should've started this back in 2017 when this plant only had slender shoots coming out of the ground, then by now the whole trunk would be fairly thick. all the way up with a little taper.

Buying a new plant would be quick and easy but I always enjoy putzing around out in the yard. Hoping to end up with something unique that I've created myself. Or not. :-)

One thing about this plant, if all else fails, I can coppice it and it will turn back into a 'bush type' plant with multiple shoots splaying out in every direction. It was that way when I started.

Bill the color on your flower is amazing! I have gotten pinkish and mauve late season, but never that lovely deep pink. Mine is suffering this summer, between heat and heavy rain, it looks like this. I will have to do in a different post (houzz).

debra

Well, ther’s always next year!

debra

Thanks!

We had it very dry this season but I didn't water it very much until I thought it was about to begin putting out bloom buds. I can't affirm if that was the reason for nice color or not.

I really don't do anything special with any of my plants where soil nutrients are concerned so it's anybody's guess. Oh, I did add a little Al₂(SO₄)₃ to my blue hydrangea for the first time this year.

pennlake said: 'I was frustrated with my limelight flopping. I stopped pruning and the flopping stopped.'

I know it's been a while since this was posted in the thread, but it occurred to me that once I get the height where I want, the plant can/will put out many more sprouts, as it likes, the sprouts may come out shorter just because there are so numerous. Thus, shorter stalks = less drooping.

Hmmmm. :-)

10-10-2023:

Had some hard rains the last few weeks and although the blooms drooped, the never touched they ground. All buds finally bloomed albeit some were very small and all were smaller than could be.

Next season, we're going higher. :-)

Hard frost last night so season is over.

11-18-2023:

The season stayed mild enough I got around to pruning the branches on my H. paniculata tree experiment.

Rabbit protection is necessary and if the snow gets too deep, they can only access the upper branches so nbd.

Overall height is 40" but the top 8" is new growth from last season and maybe subject to clipping. ;-)

Removed all branches below 20" and the left what stubs showing in the picture.

It'll be a judgment call next season with pruning albeit shaping another year or two may be in it's future. ;-)

8-21-2024:

Just to wrap this up. It will never have thick enough flower stems to be a true form of tree hydrangea, as discussed earlier. And there will be more work to do on it after this season,

Good rains and heat this season.

I left some low branches again this season to increase girth but until the leaves fall, I'll have no idea what's next.

The branches didn't all fall to the outside. Some came over the top and were supported by branches under them, which kept things contained the top portion of the crown. It got a little dry in my absence but all in all looks halfway decent.

:-)

Great job, @ BillMN-z-2-3-4. I bought a Vanilla Strawberry shrub to turn into a tree. Hopefully, I can do as well as you.

Thanks!

This thing grows so wildly and puts out long branches from everywhere, even near the base.

At least the trunk is now able to handle the weight. That was half the battle right there.

Bill,your little tree is looking good! Perhaps with time it will gain girth in the trunk. I bought mine in tree form over ten years ago so I was not dealing with the issues you are.

I started a cutting of my Annabelle Hydrangea earlier this season. When it started to get tiny flowers, I was told to cut the flowers so the plant would spend its energy developing roots. It’s doing well but of course it’s small.
Do you think this applies to a tree from hydrangea? Would cutting the flowers for one year help the trunk bulk up?
I’m just wondering…….🤔

debra

I really have no idea, but I think that cutting the flowers off would certainly keep the branches from flopping, rain or not. ;-)

The biggest problem with this variety is that the stems grow so long and are so thin, I don't know if that might change once the entire plant thickens up.

This plant was a single stem when the workmen cut it off when rebuilding the house.

Not sure if it was a tree or a shrub with single stem but it was one or the other.

Well you certainly have done a great job getting the tree to the size it is. Keep us posted!

debra

I'm glad this thread popped up again. I have what I think is a Limelight. Got it at a swap about.... yikes, about 15 years ago I would guess. Planted it in a spot that is not optimal. Not bad, but just not where I would have put it if I knew it got so big!

So I have been contemplating pruning it up into tree form, but know absolutely nothing about that lol. So I'm glad to see this thread - I admittedly only skimmed it but it seems that this shrub can indeed be cut back and pruned.

Not to hijack your thread Bill, but I hope you don't mind if I post a few pics below just to see if one of you guys can ID the hydrangea as limelight. I tried posting a thread here last year(??) but no one could confidently ID. I get that (I know it's hard to ID stuff at times) but thought I would run it by you guys here if you don't mind, just for another shot at ID.

Kind of hard to tell from the picture but this is probably about 7-8 feet tall

partially opened bloom

Thanks for any ID help. I am going to re-read more closely through this thread for info on cutting back and shaping etc.

Thanks!

:)

Dee

Hi Dee, the bloom appears right for a limelight which is what I have as well. Conical shaped, though I image there are other hydrangeas with flowers that have that shape. I looked at your second pic, the leaf is correct with the razer like edge. A limelight is lime green when the flower start to show and then they turn white. Eventually, with good sun and decent temperatures and hydration, the flowers will turn pink and sometimes mauve as we head into September. If you look at my tree pic above, I think you can see all three colors going on the tree. Some parts stayed greenish as we had a shade up last year. We don’t this year. Does it ever turn pinkish?

debra

Maybe a picture of the trunk could help. I do see the very long branches flopping which is typical for this hydrangea.

debra

Hi debra! Thanks! Yes it does turn pinkish. I actually looked to see if I had a photo of it from earlier seasons but I don't, and it hasn't really started turning this year yet. And yes, they are green before turning white.

I will have to crawl under it and get a picture of the trunk lol. Perhaps tomorrow.

Thank you!

:)

Dee

Not at all Dee.

Yours appears to be Limelight but I'm not a Hydrangea guru or even close.

Mine originated at the house that was here before mine. It was destroyed by a tornado before I bought the place.

I found the plant (2013) growing 1 ft from the east side of the house foundation, among the day lilies, as a 1-1/2" diameter stump. I figured it was in the way of the workers (they built a new house on the existing foundation), so they cut it off.

It was 4 years (2017) before I realized just what it was and decided to move it.

It has quite a massive root system under it.

I should have trained it to single stem right away. I didn't know enough at the time to realized that it was originally a single stem plant, but it had to grow and flop a few seasons before I finally did some research and started the journey (2021).

Picture from 2017.

So that's my story and I'm sticking to it. :^)

' Would cutting the flowers for one year help the trunk bulk up?
I’m just wondering…….🤔 '

Turns out I needed to remove some of the blooms, because the weight of all those, even when dry was causing the trunk to bend over at the top (staked it a couple weeks ago).

Now that I cleared a good portion of them away, I can see that some of the blooms originated from second year branches this spring (many were coming out of the main trunk).

But alas, they still drooped. Same total length no matter the source.

But I got the height I wanted and those parts of the trunk that appeared to be ready to snap under the weight, really melded their wounds together and thickened up even more this season. I'll leave the rest until it goes dormant.

We'll see what next year brings. ;-)

10-1-2024:

8-17-2026:

Final Final report! 🤣

Just for fun, I thought I'd post a picture of this same hydrangea above.

I had planned on doing more pruning but didn't get around to it.

It sprouted branches down to about a foot off the ground, but with the height, even those that drooped, stayed off the ground.

I took the screens off it today (after the pic) bc I haven't even seen a hint of deer in my yard this season.

Enjoy. :-)

Just a followup on the Final Final report! 🤣