This variety is no longer available; the information on this page is for reference only. Please view the suggested plants below for substitutes.

Lime Rickey® Smooth Hydrangea

Revitalize your love of hydrangeas. One look at Lime Rickey® hydrangea and you’re refreshed! Its cool, lime-green flowers arrive reliably summer after summer to brighten the steamy hot garden. Each fluffy bloom is speckled with pink, every single floret is centered with a puff of pollen. (Be sure to say hello to the pollinators who flock to enjoy it!) Extraordinarily sturdy stems hold each bloom aloft through intense wind and rainfall, ensuring your flower show lasts as long as possible. The applications of this plant are endless; it makes a great specimen for pollinator gardens, looks dreamy planted in drifts, and easily blends into mixed perennial beds.

Why grow Lime Rickey® hydrangea?

  • An unexpected candidate for the pollinator garden.
  • New wood blooms ensure you’ll have a show every year.
  • Unique cut flower, adds a pop to pink arrangements.

Additional information

Dimensions4 × 4 ft
Botanical Name

Hydrangea arborescens 'SMNHALR' PP#28,858, CBR#5627

Zone

3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Flower Color

Green, White

Foliage Color

Green

Height

4-5'

Width/Spread

4-5'

Exposure

Full Sun, Part Shade

Soil

Average, Well-drained

Bloom Time

Summer

Uses

Borders, Containers, Cutting Gardens, Foundations, Ground Cover, Hedges, Mass Planting, Naturalizing, Specimen

Features

Alkaline soil, Attracts pollinators, Clay soil, Cut flower, Landscape plant, Native, Salt tolerant

Plant Care

Light: It depends on the climate you live in. For gardens at the cooler end of their hardiness range, they will thrive in full sun. For gardens at the warmer end of the range, it benefits from placement in afternoon shade.

Soil: Prefers moist soil that drains easily. Any period of extended sogginess will not be tolerated. Soil pH does not affect flower color.

Water: Average water needs.

Fertilizing: Nothing special required. If desired, you may apply a granular fertilizer formulated for flowering woody plants in late winter/early spring when the soil is workable.

Pruning: Pruning is recommended in early spring. When the buds begin to swell noticeably, cut the whole plant back by one third. Make cuts just about 1/4 of an inch above a bud. Dead or damaged wood can be removed at any time, just cut back to a set of leaves!

Other: It can be used as a cut flower! For its longest vase life, cut vertically up the stem about 2″. This will help it absorb more water.