Many people only know the hydrangea as a pretty houseplant or garden flower that, when cut regularly, reaches about the same height as other perennials. If you avoid this pruning, the magnificent flowering bush can grow up to four meters tall, depending on the variety.
How big can hydrangeas get?
Hytensias can reach different sizes depending on the variety: farmer's hydrangeas up to 2 meters, oak-leaved hydrangeas up to 3 meters, climbing hydrangeas up to 7 meters, panicle hydrangeas up to 2 meters, velvet hydrangeas up to 4 meters, plate hydrangeas up to 1, 5 meters and forest hydrangeas up to 3 meters.
Farmer hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla)
The farmer's hydrangea is often sold cultivated in a pot as a “Mother's Day flower”. It is one of the species most commonly found in our gardens. If you plant this hydrangea outdoors, it can grow up to two meters high.
Oak-leaved hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia)
This hydrangea gets its name from the beautifully lobed foliage that resembles that of native oaks. The cone-shaped flower umbels reach a size of up to thirty centimeters and hang down slightly. Depending on the variety, it grows between 1.50 meters and 3 meters high. It tends to grow a bit sprawling and can be cut back in spring if necessary.
Climbing hydrangea (Hydrangea petiolaris)
This hydrangea initially grows very slowly and usually only blooms after a few years. With its adhesive roots it can hold on to rough surfaces and then reach heights of up to seven meters.
Pranicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata)
In its natural habitat, this species grows into impressive bushes seven meters high, but in our home gardens it rarely reaches a height of over two meters. It tolerates pruning and can be trained as a small, spherical bush or standard tree, depending on personal preference.
Velvet hydrangea (Hydrangea sargentiana)
This hydrangea owes its German plant name to the pretty velvety leaves, which are covered on the underside by a dense, white-gray down. If cared for properly, it will grow up to four meters high.
Hydrangea serrata
This hydrangea impresses with its natural flowers, which form a colorful wreath around the inconspicuous inner flowers. Hydrangeas not only produce smaller flowers than the closely related farmer's hydrangeas, their growth and size are also smaller. This means that the pretty bushes blend in very well with small bones, even when unpruned.
Forest hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens)
These white or green flowering hydrangeas have become increasingly popular in recent years because their extraordinary appearance fits perfectly into modern gardens. They grow up to three meters tall and form flower balls up to 25 centimeters in diameter.
Tips & Tricks
Many hydrangeas are not completely hardy. It is therefore advisable to only plant it out when it has reached a certain size. Slowly get potted plants used to the changed conditions outdoors before putting them in the bed.