Hydrangea Vanilla Strawberry™

Hydrangea Vanilla Strawberry™ is such a pleasure in the garden. A landmark shrub that will draw the eye no matter where it is planted, this PeeGee is hardy, long-lived, and ever-changing in its beauty. Rely on it for over-the-top color for months.

The giant flowerheads begin pale green, quickly turning a rich shade of cream. By midsummer (this shrub blooms on new wood, so late spring frosts won't cancel the bloom season) the creamy trusses are beginning to blush pink, and by autumn, the shrub has every shade from pistachio to rich rose on its flowers. Magnificent!

These flowers are splendid for cutting for fresh and dried indoor arrangements, but they look so terrific on the shrub that you may be torn. (Oh well—better grow two Vanilla Strawberries.) The foliage remains a steady green, large and lush, but the flowering stems are bright red, and really stand out once they begin to flop in late summer. Going from upright to weeping, this shrub is simply always changing.

Fully 7 feet high and just a couple feet less wide, Vanilla Strawberry is a showstopper. When it was introduced in 2010, it was promptly voted Plant of the Year by wholesale nurserymen, and it has never looked back. Quick-growing, adaptable to northern climates, and happy in sun (in the north) and partial shade (farther south and west), Hydrangea Vanilla Strawberry™ is a true legacy shrub. Add it to your landscape this season.

This variety is slower to come out of dormancy compared to other Hydrangea varieties. Leaves will begin to show in late spring-early summer.

As temperatures drop, some Hydrangea paniculata varieties reward gardeners with soft pink or red hues. This natural shift depends on cool nights and the plant's genetics. In mild climates, blooms may retain their creamy white beauty.