Tuff Stuff Ah-Ha® Hydrangea

If you are not familiar with the mountain hydrangea, that’s because up until a few years ago it was a pretty dull plant, only of interest to collectors. In recent years, though, it has been the target of some excellent breeding, and one result is an outstanding new garden plant, the Tuff Stuff Ah-Ha® Mountain Hydrangea. Not only is this plant cold-hardy, it has beautiful, showy lace-cap blooms, 7 inches across, with exceptionally large individual flowers over 2 inches across. These will be pink or blue, depending on your soil – both are lovely – and it blooms not only in early summer, but again in fall. Yes, this is the first reblooming mountain hydrangea on the market. Be the first in your block to grow one, and surprise your gardening friends. Of moderate size, just 3 feet tall and wide, it is perfect for semi-shade parts of your garden, alone, in a group of 3 or 5, or as a charming edging along a path or driveway. You will love how easy it is to grow, and how rewarding it is, always full of blooms just when you want them.

• Beautiful pink or blue large lace-cap flowers
• Blooms in early summer, and again in fall
• Handsome rounded shrub with large, fuzzy green leaves
• A great replacement for mophead hydrangeas in colder zones
• Needs little attention from you to thrive and bloom

Plant the Tuff Stuff Ah-Ha® Mountain Hydrangea in full sun in cooler zones, if the soil is generally moist, or in partial sun, with afternoon shade, in all zones. In hot zones it will grow in light, scattered shade too. Plant in a moist, rich soil. If you have a soil that is alkaline (pH 7.5 or more) the flowers will be a beautiful pink. In acidic soil (pH 6.5 or less) they will be blue. In neutral soil they will be purple-blue to purple-pink. If grown in a pot you can control the color by using suitable hydrangea fertilizers and soils. Water new plants frequently, and established ones deeply during dry periods – this plant is not drought tolerant. Deer don’t eat it and it rarely has any pest or disease issues. Prune in spring, once you see new buds swelling. Simply remove any dead wood, and any terminal buds that have died, cutting back to the first pair of strong buds. Don’t prune hard or flowering will suffer, and don’t trim in summer, other than removing dead flowers as needed.