Public Service announcement about Hydrangea’s winter damage

Hydrangea macrophylla – spring, 2014

We are getting many people calling nervous that their Hydrangeas never looked this way this time of year.  This is concerning the classic Hydrangea macrophylla, very popular in New England, mophead flowers in blue to pink/purple.  If your plants new leaves are only coming from the ground and not on last year growth, you can blame the very cold winter we just had.  The good news is, with patience, the plant with fill out to its usual size but may not bloom this year.  The severe cold will kill the stems and flowers buds down to ground level.  This combined with the late spring has cause these plants to respond this way.   Please call with any questions. It is best to wait 2-3 more weeks before pruning.