Check with @guyground and @mary1nys to see if they still do.

I'm a little late to the party and can't add too much on the subject but have recently planted one of these about a week ago.

They tell me I probably will see some blooms this season but not profusely so.

It's supposed to be a single stem 'bush' form and not multiple stems coming out of the ground from everywhere.

This is the only picture I have of the stem at ground level:

I had one errant stem coming from out of the ground near the base that cut off and a few weird, super thin branches that were snaking around inside that I pruned but I'm not worried about things filing back in.

I thought it would be just the right size for this spot and hoping to see some reddish colors in the later part of summer.

I'll see what happens later this summer. ;^)

6-21-2024:

The stems are very red, but it appears to be blooming already.

My limelight bloomed first week of August of last season, and it was a lot warmer last spring and summer. We've barely been out of the 60's here this season.

Maybe because it's a new potted plant that was fertilized too much?

.

DR blooms earlier than limelight. In fact there is quite a spread in panicle bloom times. The very early ones start late June, the latest ones mid August here near MSP.

Thanks!

Do the early bloomers keep their flowers longer than the late bloomers?

Diamond rouge description implies that there's a long slide from white into red/maroon, could that make them last a bit longer than some of the other varieties?

My observation of the panicle hydrangeas around here is the flowers all last until the first hard frost browns them out unless severly drought stressed. Then they will brown out earlier. The flowers age to a greenish, dusty pink, bright pink to red or maroon at varying speeds depending on the variety.

7-13-2024:

The blooms begin.

They're appearing like a lace cap and a little slow.

Never thought about it, just had it in my head they would look like my limelight.

First season in the ground and some preemptive pruning so it might look different next year.

7-27-2024:

Mine is mostly full bloom now and is showing 'pink' in spots.

Once established, I think I've found what I was looking for at this location.

Woody, medium sized shrub that flowers earlier than the limelight.

Even DW thinks it looks nice. :-)

Yet to see how red it gets and how evenly the coloring is and for how long.

:-)

8-5-2024:

Another update.

This one almost looks better from a distance, across the yard. Stil an improvement from the plain white.

My droid camera just doesn't do it justice, so I took this with a borrowed I-phone because it looks more realistic.

We'll check it again in a couple of weeks.

:0)

8-19-2024:

A little blurry but it gives a pretty accurate idea of the color (in real life).

It was a little water starved most of the last 12 days (I was gone), but a half inch of rain came about 5 or 6 days ago and saved the day. ;-)

A couple more (better lighting). They are red.

:-)

8-22-2024

FWIW:

After 1-1/2" of hard, pounding rain today, I see no evidence of drooping on this one.

:-)

This looks like a winner to me!!!!

9-11-2024:

One last post for durability of color.

The flower petals are ~50% brown but the aura of red remains.

The Limelight is halfway to turning to pink.

:-)