Hydrangeas show off their attractive side all summer long. If you want to save yourself the hassle of regular weeding and want to create exciting contrasts to the flowers and leaves of the hydrangeas, we recommend planting these plants underneath.
Which plants are suitable for underplanting hydrangeas?
Various perennials, ground covers, ferns and grasses can be used to plant hydrangeas, the height of which isunder 60 cmand which require ashady locationtolerated. These include, among others:
- Purple bells and hostas
- Periwinkle and Cranesbill
- Pearl Fern and Spotted Fern
- Sedges and Japanese mountain grass
Planting hydrangeas with perennials
Small to medium-sized perennials that feel perfectly at home in partial shade to shade and have no objection to a moist and acidic substrate, go well with hydrangea as underplanting. Since hydrangeas are shallow-rooted and formmany fine rootsclose to the surface, you should plant the perennials atsome distance from the root ball of the hydrangeas. Harmonize fantastically with the location requirements of hydrangeas:
- Funkia
- Purple bells
- Dwarf Iris
- Solomon's Seal
- Aquilegia
- Lungwort
- Primroses
Planting hydrangea with ground cover plants
The ground cover with which you want to plant the hydrangea should have a pH value in theacidicrange and beshade-tolerant. Underplanting with ground cover plants that have different leaf shapes and thus create contrasts to the hydrangea are attractive and enriching. In addition, ground cover plants are impressive as underplanting because they act like a natural mulch layer and protect the hydrangea from drying out. For example, the following are suitable:
- woman's coat
- Evergreen
- Memorial
- Storksbill
Planting hydrangeas with ferns
Since hydrangeas originally come from forests, ferns are ideal planting partners for them. They havesimilar location requirementsand embellish the lower area with their interestingly structured fronds. Especiallysmaller ferns are recommended as they do not get in the way of the hydrangea flowers. Here is a selection of suitable specimens:
- Pearl fern
- Spotted Fern
- Filigree fern
- Stone Feather
- Small shield fern
Planting hydrangea with grasses
Grasses represent a striking contrast to hydrangeas. You can plant both panicle hydrangeas, farmer's hydrangeas and viburnum hydrangeas withlow and shade-loving grasses. The following grasses are ideal for combining with hydrangeas:
- Mountain sedge
- White variegated Japanese sedge
- Forest sedge
- Angle sedge
- Japanese mountain grass
- Rasen-Schmiele
- Bearskin Grass
Planting hydrangeas in the pot
You can also plant a hydrangea in the pot to protect it fromdroughtand to make the bare soil visually attractive. Tender and shallow soil-coveringground coverare particularly suitable for planting under the pot. When these beautiful flowers and the hydrangeas produce contrasting colors, the overall picture becomes even more intoxicating.
- Memorial
- Lobelie
- Ribbon flower
- Ivy
- woman's coat
Tip
Underplanting older tree hydrangeas with barberry
Do you have a large tree hydrangea such as the 'Annabelle' hydrangea? Then you can underplant it with a barberry. The barberry can be a valuable support for the hydrangea, as its prickly branches prevent the flower balls, which are often overhanging due to the weight, from bending over.