Tuff Stuff® Top Fun Hydrangea

In just a few years the mountain hydrangea has gone from obscurity to being a ‘must have’ in every garden. A fantastic replacement for the mophead hydrangea in colder zones, this plant has been targeted by breeders, who have turned its dull wild flowers into beautiful lace-caps that rival the mopheads for beauty. Blooming on older stems, and also on new ones, you get flowers in early summer, and then a new batch in fall. The 3-inch flower heads are carried in abundance, and have large outer flowers of rich pink surrounding a center of fluffy flowers of softer pink. When grown in acidic soil the flowers change color to become purple-blue. A compact bush, 3 feet tall and wide, this is an ideal shrub for semi-shaded parts of your garden, among other shrubs, with perennials, or as a striking edging along a pathway or drive. Charming edging woodland areas too, and perfect for a pot on a terrace or porch.

• Abundant lace-cap flowers in pink to purple-blue
• Flowers in early summer, and then again in fall
• The large green leaves have a fuzzy texture, and always look healthy
• Much more abundant blooming in colder zones than mophead hydrangeas
• A easy and reliable garden shrub, and for pots too

The Tuff Stuff Top Fun® Mountain Hydrangea is cold-hardy right through zone 5, with good winter survival of the twigs, giving an excellent early blooming. Grow it in full sun in cool zones, and in partial sun, ideally with afternoon shade, in every zone. In hot zones it will tolerate more shade, but too much reduces blooming. Plant it in a rich, moist, well-drained soil – the colors of the flowers will vary with the pH – pink in alkaline soils, purple-pink in neutral ones, and purple-blue in acidic soils. Water new plants regularly, and established ones during dry periods – this isn’t a drought tolerant plant. Deer don’t eat it and it rarely has any pest or disease issues. Prune in spring, once you see new growth beginning. Remove any dead wood, cutting back to the first pair of healthy buds only – keep pruning to a minimum. Older bushes can have a few of the oldest branches removed at ground level. Don’t trim in summer, other than to remove dead flower heads.