Strawberry Vanilla Hydrangea Plant Profile
Hydrangeas are recognized for providing summer color to the landscape, and Strawberry Vanilla hydrangea is one kind that does it elegantly. This plant changes color as the summer progresses, so you're not trapped with a single floral hue.
The blossoms start as white (with pink centers), but they quickly become pink. However, like with Zinfin Doll hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata 'SMNHPRZEP'), the color shift does not occur uniformly across the flower head, resulting in a bi-colored flower head (thus the name "Strawberry Vanilla").
The pink tint deepens until you're left with a very lovely pinkish-red. In late summer, however, young stalks with white blossoms blend in with the pinkish-red of the older stems for added variation.
Strawberry Vanilla Hydrangea Care Instructions
Because Strawberry Vanilla hydrangea blooms on new growth, prune it in the late winter or early spring. If you want to make a "trunk," pick one stem and trim off the rest to make your plant look like a tree.
This shrub is susceptible to various diseases (including bacterial wilt, blight, leaf spot, mildew, and rust), all of which may be avoided by leaving plenty of space between your Strawberry Vanilla hydrangea and any other plants (to facilitate air circulation). Aphids and mites, for example, can attack it; keep an eye out for them and spray with Neem oil organic insecticide as soon as you notice them.
Light
In full light, Light Strawberry Vanilla hydrangea blooms best with the loveliest color.
Soil
Good drainage is the basic soil need for Strawberry Vanilla Hydrangea.
Water
The bush has typical water requirements. During seasons of drought in the summer and periods of scorching weather, make sure to water it.
Fertilizer
This plant should be well-nourished if your soil is poor to begin. In such cases, amending the soil with enough compost every year is the best option. If you don't mind using chemicals, you can add to the compost by applying a slow-release, balanced fertilizer once growth has started in the spring.
Strawberry Vanilla Hydrangea's Landscape Applications
Like other hydrangeas species, Strawberry Vanilla hydrangea can be used as a summertime specimen plant in the yard. Hydrangeas can put on such a long floral display because the "flowers" you see in their flower heads (also known as "panicles") are sepals, which are plant elements that last considerably longer than flowers. Even after the sepals have turned brown in the fall, they continue to provide aesthetic interest.
Strawberry Vanilla hydrangea's growth habit and the size of its bloom heads add to its showiness. The latter has a length of 7 inches and a width of 5 inches. The pattern is erect in early summer, but the habit alters as more flower heads occupy the branches. The added weight of the flower heads causes the branches to droop down, giving the plant a more appealing vase-like form.
Strawberry Vanilla hydrangea is a hardy plant that tolerates pollution well. Because of this, it's not only a nice shrub to grow in the city, but it's also a suitable option for shrub beds beside the road.
Varieties of Hydrangeas
Hydrangeas come in a variety of colors and shapes. The Hydrangea genus is made up of several species:
- Hydrangea macrophylla: As the name implies, this variety has large leaves.
- Hydrangea paniculata: can be grown into a tree form
- Hydrangea quercifolia: regarded more for its leaves (which resemble oak leaves) than for its blooms
- Hydrangea arborescens: valued for its huge flower heads; for example, Incrediball (Hydrangea arborescens 'Abetwo')
- Hydrangea petiolaris is a vine kind of Hydrangea.
