It is tempting to plant a hydrangea in a full sun spot (anywhere that gets six or more hours of direct light), but unless you’re happy to run an experiment you might want to know just how to have success. Let’s touch on the three things you need to know about growing hydrangeas in full sun:
1 – Where you can grow hydrangeas in full sun
Northern gardeners get all the luck in this situation. Anyone living in zone six and below can ordinarily grow a hydrangea situated in full sun. Southern gardeners will have the best success growing their hydrangeas in afternoon shade. This protects the plants from the most intense sun exposure and gives you the most handsome display.
2 – Best hydrangeas for full sun
Out of the five most common hydrangeas – panicle, smooth, oakleaf, bigleaf, and mountain – you’ll have the best luck with panicle hydrangeas. They are the most sun tolerant.
3 – How to care for hydrangeas in full sun
Your biggest priority will be water. The two things that will help you give your plant the best care are a layer of mulch to increase water retention and a water meter to check the soil moisture before you give it a drink. There’s a common misconception that hydrangeas need to be practically drowning in water to thrive and that is just not the case. They like moist soil, but there absolutely needs to be oxygen in it for them to thrive. Check out this video on water meters if you’d like to learn more about knowing when to water.
Other Options
If your dreams of growing hydrangeas in a full sun garden spot have been crushed, you can still have a bold floral display! Check out a few of our favorite large-bloomed beauties for full sun, maybe one will step in and save the day.
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‘Diamond Ball’ Clematis
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‘Viva Polonia’ Clematis
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Center Stage® Coral Crapemyrtle
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Double Play® Pink Spirea
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Pugster Blue® Butterfly Bush
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Pugster White® Butterfly Bush
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Pugster® Amethyst Butterfly Bush
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Ruffled Satin® Rose of Sharon
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Still Waters™ Clematis
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Temple of Bloom® Seven-son flower
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Center Stage® Pink Crapemyrtle
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La Vida Grande® Indian Hawthorn
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Have a full sun shrub that is totally crushing it in your garden? Tell us about it in the comments below!
