Plant, Tree & Shrub Library

Description:

This selection is grafted onto a standard to raise the flowers to eye level, features enormous, dense upright panicles of flower heads that start out a soft lime green, fading over the summer to white and finally brown in fall

Ornamental Features

Limelight Hydrangea (tree form) features bold conical lime green flowers with white overtones at the ends of the branches from mid summer to late fall. The flowers are excellent for cutting. It has green deciduous foliage. The pointy leaves do not develop any appreciable fall color.

Landscape Attributes

Limelight Hydrangea (tree form) is a deciduous tree, selected and trained to grow in a small tree-like form with the primary plant grafted high atop a standard. Its relatively coarse texture can be used to stand it apart from other landscape plants with finer foliage.

This is a high maintenance tree that will require regular care and upkeep, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Limelight Hydrangea (tree form) is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Limelight Hydrangea (tree form) will grow to be about 10 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 5 feet. It tends to be a little leggy, with a typical clearance of 3 feet from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 40 years or more.

This tree performs well in both full sun and full shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.

Limelight Hydrangea (tree form) is a fine choice for the yard, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. Its large size and upright habit of growth lend it for use as a solitary accent, or in a composition surrounded by smaller plants around the base and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden. Be aware that in our climate, most plants cannot be expected to survive the winter if left in containers outdoors, and this plant is no exception. Contact our experts for more information on how to protect it over the winter months.