Hydrangea
Best varieties: Endless Summer (mophead), Limelight (panicle), Annabelle (smooth), Nikko Blue
Easy
Shrub
❄️ Frost Hardy
🐾 Pet Safe
🌲 PNW Growing Notes
Thrives in Seattle’s climate. Flower color (pink vs blue) depends on soil pH—Seattle’s acidic soil naturally produces blue blooms. Panicle types are most reliable.
☀️ Light
Morning sun, afternoon shade
💧 Water
Regular—name means ‘water vessel’ in Greek
🪨 Soil
Rich, moist, well-drained; acidic for blue, alkaline for pink
📏 Spacing
48" apart
📅 Planting Timeline (Seattle)
🪴
Transplant Outdoors
Fall or spring
🌸
Bloom Season
Jun–Oct
💡 Pro Tip
To keep flowers blue in Seattle, add aluminum sulfate. For pink, add garden lime. Dried flower heads look beautiful left on through winter.
🤝 Companion Planting
✅ Good Companions
Hostas, Ferns, Astilbe