Tuff Stuff™ Red Mountain Hydrangea

Extremely cold hardy and extremely beautiful. Tuff Stuff™ Red is a member of the Tuff Stuff™ series, a group of hydrangeas known for their reliable beauty and easy care regimen. You can count on it to fill the entire summer, and early fall, with dark reddish-pink, double lacecap flowers. Because it blooms on both old and new wood, you’ll get a captivating blend of fresh and mature flowers. Fresh flowers have dark reddish-pink petals with lime green accents in the center, while mature flowers have turned entirely pink. Flowers will change color according to pH, expect pink coloring with alkaline or neutral soil and purple with acidic soil. Either color is nicely accented by handsome, dark green foliage that grows in a thick, tidy habit so compact that it doesn’t need pruning.

Why grow Tuff Stuff™ Red mountain hydrangea?

– Vivid pink-red, lacecap flowers for the entire summer.

– Reliable bloom and rebloom thanks to extreme cold hardiness.

– Petite habit fits in many different garden roles.

Additional information

Dimensions2 × 2 ft
Botanical Name

Hydrangea serrata 'SMNMAKTSR' PP#28,672, CBR#5789

Zone

5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Flower Color

Pink, Purple

Foliage Color

Green

Height

2-3'

Width/Spread

2-3'

Exposure

Full Sun, Part Shade

Soil

Average, Moist, Well-drained

Bloom Time

Early Summer, Early Summer through Fall, Fall, Summer

Uses

Borders, Containers, Cutting Gardens, Edging, Low Hedges, Mass Planting, Naturalizing, Rain Gardens, Specimen

Features

Alkaline soil, Attracts pollinators, Clay soil, Compact, Cut flower, Heat tolerant, Landscape plant, Reblooming, Salt tolerant

Blooms On

Old and new wood

Breeder

Tim Wood

Plant Care

Light: For gardens at the cooler end of the hardiness range, it will thrive in areas with anywhere from four to six hours of sun and does benefit from shade. For gardens at the warmer end of the range, it benefits from placement in afternoon shade. If they’re exposed to too much sun, they can get sunburnt. This is when the tops of the leaves have a brownish cast, and it’s a good hint that the plant needs transplanting to a shadier spot.

Soil: Prefers moist soil that drains easily. Soil pH and the presence of aluminum do affect flower color. In basic, also called alkaline, soils (pH of 7.5 or higher) the coloring will be pink. In acidic soils (pH of 6.5 or less), the coloring will be blue or purple, depending on the plant. For blue flowers, it’s also necessary to have the chemical element aluminum present.

Water: Has average water needs. It does not respond well to any period of extended sogginess, like overwatering or heavy continuous rain events.

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: We don’t generally recommend heavy pruning. Any cuts will remove some flowering potential, this is because a good number of the flower buds are formed on old wood. You can remove dead or damaged wood at any time, just cut back to a set of leaves. If you’d like to prune to shape the plant, try to get this done when the plant is starting to break dormancy in early spring or late winter. You’ll know it’s time when the green leaf buds start to swell. To deadhead just follow the stem down to the first set of opposite leaves and cut ¼ of an inch above them.

Other: Although they make a beautiful cut flower, keep in mind that harvesting can affect the future flower display. Although it’s extremely cold hardy, you can cover it with burlap or a leaf cage during the winter if your weather gets especially harsh.