Everything You Need to Know About Endless Summer Hydrangeas

Endless Summer hydrangeas may look delicate but they're a tough, winter-hardy variety that has an unusually long blooming season. Developed by a Minnesota nursery in 2004, the deciduous shrub (meaning it sheds its leaves in the fall before becoming dormant) is a lush ball of pink, blue, or white petals with glossy leaves, and their dark green foliage takes on a burgundy hue in the fall. One of the plant's distinguishing features is its ability to produce flowers that can change colors from blue to pink, or pink to blue by adding a soil amendment. One variation, the BloomStruck, can shift from blue to a deeper blue-purple with added aluminum sulfate.

This perennial flowering shrub adds a wow factor to any landscape. Hydrangeas are a popular cut flower, too—you just need a few blooms to nicely fill a vase making it a favorite at bridal showers and weddings.

Where Endless Summer Hydrangeas Grow

Thinking of growing these big gorgeous flowers in your yard? Endless Summer hydrangeas grow in zones four to nine, according to the United States Plant Hardiness Zone interactive map. The mature size of the plant depends on the variety. "Summer Crush gets two to three feet tall and wide, where The Original can be six feet tall and wide," says Ryan Mcenaney, public relations and communications specialist for Bailey Nurseries.

When and Where Endless Summer Hydrangeas Bloom

The plant produces flowers from June through September. Unlike many hydrangeas, it blooms on both old and new growth, which means it forms the flower buds for next year's blooms during the current year. It's often referred to as "flowering on old wood." The plant thrives in an area in your yard that's part shade and has rich, moist well-drained soil. "Morning sun and dappled afternoon shade is ideal," says Mcenaney. But he also warns that too much sun can do more harm than good. "Afternoon sun, especially in warm climates, can burn the plants."

How to Care for and Maintain Endless Summer Hydrangeas

Lightly prune Endless Summer hydrangeas in late summer after the plants finish blooming and you see new shoots at the base of the plant. "We recommend a little 'hair cut prune' in late spring to remove anything that didn't survive the winter and deadheading blooms in summer, but never a hard prune," says Mcenaney.