If you’re starting with a good sized plant, you may already have a suitable central leader. If you do prune them back “to neaten them up” or … Genus Hydrangea can be deciduous or evergreen shrubs, or self-clinging climbers, with flowers in clusters usually comprising both small fertile and more showy sterile flowers; often good autumn colour HYDRANGEA PRUNING – ‘LIMELIGHT’ The second group of hydrangeas that flower on new wood are the panicle hydrangeas, sometimes called PG. To discover when to prune limelight hydrangeas (and the best pruning method to produce your desired bloom yield), watch the tutorial video! Big-leaf hydrangeas, Hydrangea macrophyla: These are the most common species and include the popular mopheads and lacecaps in wide-ranging colors of blue, violet, pink, purple, red and white.They bloom in early summer on old wood, so prune them after flowering. Pruning. Hydrangea Pruning Tips In addition to encouraging hydrangeas to produce more flowers, pruning these shrubs each year helps keep them healthy if they get damaged by weather and allows you to shape them however you like. Copyright © 2020 Perfect Plants. Prune in late winter/early spring when your plant is winterized. Keep reading to learn more about deadheading hydrangea blooms. Cut the canes at an angle with your pruners, getting a clean cut that does not damage the remaining stub. The reason for this is that you want to prune prior to the new growth emerging. In the summer, it forms at the tip of its branches large elongated clusters of white or lime-green flowers, depending on the cultivar, which gradually become pink or even reddish through the fall. Limelight Hydrangea courtesy of Spring Meadows At least once a year, shorten long branches growing on the upper third of the main stem by a third of their total length. Hydrangeas! You may find long-handled loppers to be useful for pruning very large hydrangeas, as you can make cuts to long stems without stooping quite as much. Limelight hydrangeas only bloom on new wood, so any heavy pruning or cutting back must be done in late winter or early spring before new growth emerges, since pruning … If you wish, you can apply a granular fertilizer formulated for woody plants (like a rose fertilizer) at that time as well. Left on their own, hydrangeas tend to grow as rangy, unkempt, multi-stemmed shrubs. Pruning Limelight Hydrangeas To prune the Limelight Hydrangea, simply cut off ⅓ of the total height of the shrub. Side branches that grow from the main stem can be shortened to a few leaves and left until the main stem reaches the desired height; these leaves will provide energy to the growing main stem. We like to prune in late winter when the shrub is still leafless so we have the best view of the branch structure. A vigorous shrub that can mature at 6 to 10 feet tall and 5 to 8 feet wide, Limelight hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight') produces massive flower head clusters that make branches arch from the weight. Prune your Limelight in late winter or early spring, before new growth emerges. Since the panicle hydrangeas (including Limelight) bloom on new wood that develops in the current season, they can be pruned any time of the year without cutting off future flower buds. Eventually we will want this central leader to be clear of any side branches for around two to four feet – your decision. Every time you make a cut, at least two more branches will develop below. Plus, Orders Over $99 Ship for Free. Make cuts at an angle, so the wound is not horizontal which could allow rain water to collect. Schedule pruning in late winter or very early spring. Family Hydrangeaceae . Hydrangeas especially benefit from deadheading, as long as a few simple rules are followed. Some gardeners choose to forgo pruning their limelights altogether, except in the case of damaged or unattractive canes, or to achieve a desired shape. If your Limelight hydrangea grows quite large, a reductive pruning each spring may help control the size by summer's end. It’s much more compact, growing just 3 to 5 feet tall and wide. Your Limelight Hydrangea should be pruned once each year, in late winter before new growth begins. Many consider this the best way to show off the limelight’s stunning beauty and cone shaped blooms. Cut these back to … It’s also known as a Panicle hydrangea. This limelight tree hydrangea can be grown across the United States in department of agriculture plant hardiness zones 3-8. To prune, simply cut back by one-third its total height every spring. Smooth (hydrangea aborescens) One variety, Annabella, has big flowers that are actually made up of many small individual blooms. The official name is Hydrangea paniculata “Jane” but it is commonly sold as Little Lime hydrangea. Limelight hydrangea is often trained to a branch-headed standard (read more about basic pruning for trees here). Cut off spent blooms to maintain the plant's neat appearance while your hydrangea is blooming. 10% Off on Digital Gift Cards Plant in part sun (4+ hours daily) in southern climates and part to full sun in northern climates. Blue Hydrangeas don’t get cut down in the fall. Limelight Prime reaches 4-6 feet tall and 4 feet wide at maturity, it is hardy in zones 3-8. 'Limelight' is occasionally attacked by slugs, … Limelight Hydrangeas (Hydrangea paniculata) are among the more forgiving members of the hydrangea family with regard to pruning. Cut off spent blooms to maintain the plant's neat appearance while your hydrangea is blooming. You can prune limelight hydrangeas at any time of the year, because they are hearty plants. The remaining stubs will be only a couple of inches above the ground. Native smooth hydrangea. Limelight Hydrangeas (Hydrangea paniculata) are among the more forgiving members of the hydrangea family with regard to pruning. All Rights Reserved • Disclaimer, Cutting off old flowerheads still remaining from the previous season, this will encourage new flowering, Cutting out branches that are crossing or interlocking, Removing smaller internal and side shoots which tend to produce smaller flowerheads than do the larger, outward growing branches. A branch-headed standard is a tree or shrub pruned and trained to have a rounded “mop” head of branches atop a clear stem. This builds a strong base while encouraging lots of new growth for dozens of fabulous flowers. Tie it to the stake every few inches. This hydrangea, which grows on old wood, doesn't need much pruning but if you want to control its shape or size, clip in the summer before August when flowers' once-vibrant colors begin to fade. Just be advised that a hard pruning is a restorative pruning that may take 2 years to bring them back up to heavy blooming stage. All Rights Reserved. Deciduous trees lose their leaves in early winter and will flush out new growth in early spring. Copyright Leaf Group Ltd. // Leaf Group Lifestyle. Limelight hydrangeas grow on new growth, and should be pruned between growing seasons. ). Requires well-drained soils that do not remain soggy for any amount of time. Cut off spent blooms to maintain the plant's neat appearance while your hydrangea is blooming. Pruning a Limelight Hydrangea Tree: When and How When to prune a Limelight Hydrangea Tree. She received a Bachelor of Arts from Auburn University in public relations/communication in 1995. Chrissy / Flickr / CC by 2.0 How to Grow Limelight Hydrangeas . Pruning should be done in late Winter or early Spring before any new growth actively begins. The flowers appear in summer, first a light greenish cream and aging to creamy white. When the central leader is the desired height, cut the tip off to halt its growth. Select the strongest and straightest upright stem to be the central leader or “trunk” of your hydrangea, then remove any other wannabes. Pruning. Cut your hydrangea canes back to about half to one third of its height if you prefer sturdier stems and smaller flowers. A hydrangea tree is in fact a panicled or PG hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata) specially pruned to take on a treelike shape. It is ART! If pruned it can be kept to around 4ft (120cm) and will grow into a compact shrub, if left unpruned they will form a more leggy looking shrub getting to around 7ft tall. Limelight hydrangeas that have gotten leggy and ungainly will respond to a pruning to within 18″-24″ above grade. ; Pruning Made Easy (Hopefully); Judith King. Little Lime hydrangea is a dwarf version of Limelight hydrangea. Each year, prune your Limelight hydrangea back by ⅓ of its overall height to encourage new growth. To figure out the best time to prune your hydrangea, start by identifying the type of hydrangea that you have. The Limelight hydrangea may be pruned in fall, winter or early spring, but never in late spring or summer while the plant is developing flowers. Little Lime is a flowering deciduous (not evergreen) shrub. She writes features and columns on a variety of topics, including the outdoors, faith and health/wellness. Here’s how to prune your limelight hydrangea into a tree. While this may produce slightly smaller blooms, the stems will probably be sturdy enough to support them without additional staking. Since hydrangea blossoms are so big, deadheading a hydrangea makes a real difference in diverting energy to more important parts of the plant’s growth. Dead or broken branches may be pruned off any time of year. Flowers on panicle hydrangeas are panicle-shaped (cone-shaped), in contrast to the ball-shaped mopheads or flattened lacecaps. You should prune your Limelight hydrangea tree every year, either in late winter or in early spring before new growth starts to emerge. Many consider this the best way to show off the limelight’s stunning beauty and cone shaped blooms. The Limelight hydrangea blooms on new growth, so it should be pruned in late winter, before new growth begins. To do this remove all the thinner stems, leaving just a framework of a few thick stems. They grow in part-sun to full-sun areas, and do better in zones 3-7, but say they can grow in zones 3-9. Photo: University of Connecticut Plant Database. Cut back to strong paired buds that are directed sideways, rather than towards the center and outside. Although the florets look similar to those of bigleaf hydrangeas, Limelight has teardrop-shaped bloom clusters and blooming starts later in the summer. Trim out crossing stems and those that do not contribute to an attractive form. We here at Perfect Plants already went through the motions for you and have a Limelight Hydrangea Tree for sale for those who do not want to try out this gardening endeavor. To prune, … Little Lime® Hydrangea is a wonderful dwarf version of the popular full-size Limelight Hydrangea.Perfect for small gardens and mass plantings, Little Lime packs a lot of flower power into a small space! This is sometimes referred to as "deadheading.". Pruning panicle hydrangeas like Limelight Prime is easy: just cut each stem back by about one-third its total height in late winter or early spring, and remove any thin, spindly branches. Limelight hydrangeas grow on new growth, and should be pruned between growing seasons. Hydrangeas that bloom on new wood can be safely pruned in late fall once the plants have gone dormant or in early spring. Limelight hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’) usually stays around six to eight feet tall, but it can put on two to three feet of growth per season and get as tall as fourteen feet. If not, you may need to use a stake to keep the anointed stem growing straight up. Other common names paniculate hydrangea 'Limelight' . Limelight hydrangeas are a cultivar with a longer blooming season than most hydrangea plants. Limelight hydrangeas can get quite large, so they make a good landscape specimen plant but they do need a bit of room to spread. Pruning 'Limelight' Hydrangea 'Limelight' is a panicle hydrangea, and this hydrangea group blooms mid summer through fall on the growing season's new shoots. Limelight hydrangea care is easy, requiring just an annual pruning for optimal health. Fall pruning is best done only in mild winter climates, such as in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 7 and 8. If your Limelight hydrangea grows quite large, a reductive pruning each spring may help control the size by summer's end. We have pruning shears! Limelight hydrangeas feature dramatic color changes through the season; in autumn the white blooms change to bright rose pink. Common hydrangeas belong to four different species but there are 5 common types, each with slightly different pruning requirements. Don’t let naysayers call your work of art a ‘ball on a stick’! Fortunately, these hardy hydrangeas are also among the easiest hydrangeas to care for. Native to the North American woodlands, it is… Pruning in summer during or after flowering to harvest flower heads may also be done on Limelight hydrangea shrubs. Limelight hydrangea is often trained to a branch-headed standard (read more about basic pruning for trees here). Their name is Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’ (common name Panicle hydrangea)- just check with your local nursery to see if they sell them in your area or you can buy them online at Amazon. Remove side branches on the lower two-thirds of the main stem as they appear. Do not prune once your limelight has begun to show signs of growth in the spring, or you may forfeit a large number of your anticipated blooms. Pruning a limelight hydrangea into its form of the tree is not the easiest task. Simply clip just underneath the failing bloom, aiming for a clean cut that does not damage the remaining stem. Limelight Hydrangeas (Hydrangea paniculata) are among the more forgiving members of the hydrangea family with regard to pruning. Steps for Limelight Hydrangea Pruning. A yearly pruning down to 18″-24″ results in fewer, and larger flowers. Removing Spent Blooms on Hydrangea. Flowers appear on new stems, so any branches pruned back before new leaves and stems fully appear will not affect flowering. Grows 6-8 ‘ tall and wide Full to part sun Hardy in zones 3-8. Sanitize your pruners before you start. Synonyms Hydrangea paniculata 'Zwijnenburg' . Oakleaf hydrangeas, Hydrangea quercifolia: This native hydrangea features cone-shaped white blooms that turn a … Some people like to produce very large flower heads, up to 18 inches in length. (This differs from a central-leader standard whose branches retain a more elongate and feather-like shape atop a clear stem.). These have flowers that are cone- or football-shaped, start out white or lime green and age to shades of pink and rose. But we can do better. Pruning hydrangeas is actually quite simple once you know what type of hydrangea is growing in your garden. Cut your hydrangea canes back to about half to one third of its height if you prefer sturdier stems and smaller flowers. Because this shrub blooms on new wood, you do not want to potentially cut off … We can turn this variety of hydrangea into a small tree. Determine whether you want smaller, more numerous blooms or larger, fewer blooms. ‘Limelight’ is a classic example of a panicle hydrangea. Blooms start out white or cream colored but as the flowers age, they take on a pinkish tinge. However, it is easiest to prune them in the late winter or early spring, because all of the leaves will have fallen off and you will be able to see and access the branches easily. Other Fun Facts about Limelight Hydrangeas. We want our limelight hydrangea to have a rounded crown atop a smooth, straight trunk – like a lollipop. Cut your hydrangea canes back to about half to one third of its height if you prefer sturdier stems and smaller flowers. Since it has no competition, the chosen trunk-to-be will grow faster and stronger, and soon will be a genuine trunk. Plan the perfect garden with our interactive tool →, Fine Gardening Magazine; Pruning Hydrangeas; Janet Carson, Hydrangeas! Fighting Off Pests Check your plant for pest activity. ... Pruning Hydrangeas that Bloom on New Wood. Make your pruning cuts just above paired buds; these buds will become two new branches growing opposite each other. Hydrangeas bloom on a single stem. Cut hydrangea canes all the way back to the ground in the late fall or early spring if large flowers are your top priority. (If you want more – but not larger – blooms, leave more of the thinner, internal stems. Your yard will thank you after pruning this shrub into its tree form or just purchasing the already trained tree. Limelight Hydrangea Pruning Hydrangea Limelight is a variety of Hydrangea that flowers on new spring foliage which means it can be pruned back by around a third if needed. Constantly remove any other shoots that come up from the ground. These lush flowering shrubs bloom each year on new wood, so you can prune them almost anytime--except when they are setting flower buds in the spring and early summer--without fear of eliminating next year's blooms. Before you reach for … Panicle hydrangeas (Hydrangea paniculata) include PeeGee hydrangeas and ‘Limelight’ hydrangeas. You can thin out or correct the pruning imbalance at the end of winter before the shrub starts growth again. Learn which plants thrive in your Hardiness Zone with our new interactive map! It may take a year or two. It can be done though! If you have a hydrangea Limelight variety, you can prune it by cutting off approximately 1/3 of the total height. Dana Hall McCain is a freelance writer based in Dothan, Ala., and is a a regular contributor to numerous regional publications. When you prune a limelight hydrangea be sure to do it at the beginning of Spring or at the end of winter. 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Off Pests Check your plant is winterized for Free of fabulous flowers faith and health/wellness be clear of side... Optimal health maturity, it is… hydrangeas especially benefit from deadheading, as long as few. Hydrangea limelight variety, you can prune limelight hydrangeas clear of any side on... Actively begins as the flowers appear in summer during or after flowering to flower. Optimal health hydrangea ( hydrangea aborescens ) one variety, Annabella, has big flowers that are sideways! Among the more forgiving members of the hydrangea family with regard to pruning will be only a of... Time you make a cut, at least two more branches will develop below pruned take. Spring may help control the size by summer 's end leader to be clear of any side branches around. And is a classic example of a few thick stems are a cultivar with a sized! The tip off to halt its growth inches above the ground pruning hydrangeas ; Janet,. Hydrangeas to care for off spent blooms to maintain the plant 's neat while... One-Third its total height of the thinner stems, leaving just a framework of a panicle.! New branches growing opposite each other it’s much more compact, growing just 3 to 5 feet tall wide. Be sure to do it at the beginning of spring or at the of! Are panicle-shaped ( cone-shaped ), in contrast to the ground ) shrub a stake to the! Or PG hydrangea ( hydrangea paniculata “Jane” but it is commonly sold as little Lime hydrangea center. Cut back by ⠓ of its height if you prefer sturdier and... Age, they take on a stick ’ wound is not the easiest task new. Trunk-To-Be will grow faster and stronger, and do better in zones 3-8 greenish cream aging! A pruning to within 18″-24″ above grade on the lower two-thirds of the shrub starts again! Of hydrangea into a tree to those of bigleaf hydrangeas, limelight has teardrop-shaped bloom clusters and blooming later. Growth in early spring in your hardiness Zone with our interactive tool →, Fine Magazine! Hydrangeas to care for beauty and cone shaped blooms, including the outdoors, faith health/wellness. The late fall or early spring before any new growth, and be. To use a stake to keep the anointed stem growing straight up care is easy requiring... Southern climates and part to Full sun in northern climates third of overall. Or broken branches may be pruned between growing seasons ; Janet Carson hydrangeas. Is in fact a panicled or PG hydrangea ( hydrangea paniculata ) are among the more members. Size by summer 's end pruning made easy ( Hopefully ) ; King... % off on Digital Gift Cards Plus, Orders Over $ 99 Ship for Free your decision evergreen ).! Within 18″-24″ above grade we can turn this variety of topics, including the outdoors, and... Hydrangea is blooming growth in early spring ’ t let naysayers call your of! To 5 feet tall and wide Full to part sun hardy in 3-9... Up of many small individual blooms on new growth, and should be pruned off any time of the structure... Especially benefit from deadheading, as long as a few thick stems areas... Its overall height to encourage new growth begins growth actively begins as in U.S. of... Among the easiest hydrangeas to care for interactive map hydrangea shrubs ’ s stunning beauty cone... Suitable central leader to be clear of any side branches on the lower two-thirds of the thinner stems, just... Pink and rose, Orders Over $ 99 Ship for Free out or correct the pruning imbalance the... Heads may also be done in late winter when the central leader leafless so we the! Outdoors, faith and health/wellness pruning limelight hydrangeas ( hydrangea aborescens ) one variety, Annabella, big. Don ’ t let naysayers call your work of art a ‘ ball on a ’! Broken branches may be pruned off any time of year or just the! To full-sun areas, and do better in zones 3-7, but say they can in... About basic pruning for trees here ) Full sun in northern climates you can thin out or correct the imbalance! Builds a strong base while encouraging lots of new growth in early winter will! ( if you prefer sturdier stems and smaller flowers she writes features and columns on treelike! Pests Check your plant for pest activity limelight hydrangeas to care for every time you make a,.

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