Little Lime Hydrangea

Hydrangea paniculata 'Jane' Plant Patent #22,330

Growzone: 3-9

Size	Price	Quantity
3 GAL	$54.95

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Full Description

A real winner, Little Lime Hydrangea has been awarded top honors over the past several years: 2016-Selected as landscape plant of the year 2015-Awarded a Gold Medal from The Royal Boskoop Horticultural Society. 2013-Awarded Planetarium Gold Medal 2013-Green is Life Bronze Medal 2011-American Nursery and Landscape Association (ANLA) Management Clinic Best New Plant Award Little Lime Hydrangea, is a compact cultivar that typically grows into an upright rounded mound 3-5' tall and as wide. It is the product of an open pollination in a planned breeding program that took place in Grand Haven, Michigan in August of 2005 between Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight Variegated' (female parent) and an unknown selection of Hydrangea paniculata (male parent). Little Lime Hydrangea is particularly noted for its large mophead type inflorescences (panicles to 5" tall by 4" wide), with sterile flowers emerging soft light green but maturing to pink and burgundy in fall. Additional features of interest include compact, upright-mounded shape, free branching habit and strong stems which hold the panicles upright with no drooping. Flowers typically bloom from July through September. Ovate, serrulate, dark green leaves (to 2 1/2" long) are attractive during the growing season, but produce generally undistinguished fall color. Flower panicles may be cut for fresh arrangements or for drying, or may be left on the plant where they often persist into winter.

Specifications

Growing Zone:	3-9
Mature Height:	3 to 5 feet
Mature Width:	3 to 5 feet
Classification:	Broad Leaved deciduous shrub, Summer flowering
Sunlight:	Full Sun to part sun
Habit:	Upright, densely branched
Flower Color:	Greenish White flowers in summer turning light pink to Burgundy in fall
Foliage:	Dark Green
Pruning Season:	Early spring, promotes increased branching and more flowers
Soil Condition:	Any well drained soil
Water Requirements:	Water well until established
Uses:	Extremely attractive when used as a focal point in the mixed border, mass planting, or a specimen planting

Planting Info FAQs

How do I water Little Lime Hydrangea?

How do I fertilize Little Lime Hydrangea?

Hydrangeas such as Little Lime Hydrangea grow best if they are fertilized once or twice in the summer. Although some authorities recommend special fertilizer mixes to get the maximum results, hydrangeas do amazingly well with a more relaxed approach. Either chemical fertilizers or organic matter can be used successfully. Since an organic method of applying manure and/or compost around the roots, produces excellent results and also improves the condition of the soil, this would be an excellent first line of attack. Organic additions to the soil can also be combined with a shot of chemical fertilizer for maximum effect. If chemical fertilizers are used on your Little Lime Hydrangea, applying a slow-release, balanced fertilizer once a year is probably the simplest solution. There are many slow-release fertilizers on the market. If you can find a fertilizer formulated for shrubs and trees, this fertilizer would work well on hydrangeas. However, slow-release is certainly not the only way to fertilizer hydrangeas. A less expensive fast release fertilizer such as a 10-10-10 will work just as well if applied twice during the summer. If you are looking for a fertilizing routine tailored to your specific conditions, a soil sample should be taken and the fertilizer and trace elements matched to the needs of your soil. Don't fertilize Little Lime Hydrangea after August. Fall is the time for hydrangeas to begin preparing for dormancy. Fertilizing at this time may stimulate new growth that will be too tender to withstand the winter. In the South, a late May application and another in July would be about right. More northern areas may wish to fertilize only once in June or July. The amount of chemical fertilizer used per plant will vary with the size of the plant and it's root system. (Use less fertilizer for hydrangeas in a container.) Over-fertilization can be much more detrimental than under-fertilization. "Fertilizer burn" can occur when too much fertilizer is applied, resulting in a drying out of the roots and damage or even death of the hydrangea.It is much, much better to err on the side of too little fertilizer than too much. When roots are burned, the first sign is often scorched looking leaves. If over-fertilization is severe, the plant may just wilt and die. If you are a beginner at growing plants Little Lime Hydrangea is very easy to grow however it may be helpful to know that a very small plant which is planted in the ground will take about 1/8 - 1/4 cup of fertilizer. When fertilizing hydrangeas in pots, be careful to apply a fertilizer that will not burn the roots (such as a slow release or a liquid fertilizer). A very large shrub in the ground will take 2 - 3 cups spread around the drip line of the branches (not next to the trunk). This is a very loose estimate, so please read the directions on the fertilizer before applying it. If a liquid fertilizer such as Jacks Classic is used for Little Lime Hydrangea, it should be applied every month during the spring and early summer for both plants in pots and in the ground. Never fertilize a plant with a chemical fertilizer if the plant looks sick or wilted. If a plant is struggling due to a disease or root problems, the fertilizer will only add stress to it's life. Try to cure the problem before adding fertilizer. For an organic approach, many gardeners use commercial manure on the soil around hydrangeas such as Little Lime Hydrangea. Excellent results have been reported after using composted manure. Commercial manure or compost can be applied yearly around the base of the hydrangea. As with chemical fertilizers, do not apply it right next to the trunk or stems emerging from the ground.

How do I mulch Little Lime Hydrangea?

How do I prune Little Lime Hydrangea?

In general gardening terms, pruning is probably the most misunderstood gardening chore, and certainly, the chore that is most likely neglected. When we specifically look at pruning with regards to hydrangeas, this misunderstanding and negligence can be magnified. Pruning has been described as a “combination of art and science.” I find pruning to be one of the most relaxing yet rewarding chores in the garden. Pruning a specific plant to look a specific way, involves art in creating a unique definition for a specific plant, and it involves science in understanding the physical growing habits of the plant to be pruned. The most important reason for pruning hydrangeas is to improve the overall health of the plant which in turn will reward you with a plethora of blooms. Many times, Hydrangeas that have not been pruned in a few years will develop dead or degenerative twigs. Removing the dead and dying limbs will minimize the possibility of diseases such as “dieback” and will also allow the plant to re-concentrate its energies and produce flowers. Another reason for pruning hydrangeas such as Little Lime Hydrangea is to re-define the plant’s definition within the landscape. Many times, a plant may outgrow its intended size in the landscape, and must be pruned to re-define its purpose. Pruning should always be associated with re-invigorating a plant by allowing it to focus its energies on producing more vigorous branches, foliage, and flowers. Specific plant objectives require specific pruning techniques. If a hydrangea is being trained as a hedge, it would need to be pruned differently than if it were being grown as a tree form. Screenings and hedges of hydrangeas would need to be pruned for their specific purpose within the landscape. It is also important to understand the specific growing characteristic of a certain hydrangeas when pruning that particular plant. When pruning established hydrangeas where no labeling is present on a variety to identify it, you need to look at the general growth patterns of the plant to be pruned. These observations should give you a good idea of how the plant tends to grow, and also how and when you should prune the plant.When pruning large hydrangeas, pruning can be a general shaping or shearing of the plants or it can be a severe pruning that significantly reduces the size of the plant. Many times, gardeners inherit a wealth of hydrangeas in their gardens when they purchase a previously owned residence. Although these hydrangeas may have been lovingly cared for by the previous owner, it may be necessary to severely prune these plants to restore vigor or to create a different definition in the landscape for the new owner of the property. If severe, pruning is necessary, it must be realized that the plant will shift its focus in the short-run from setting flower buds to growing vigorously, and it is very likely that the hydrangea will have few if any bloom buds during the season following the major pruning. During the second season following the severe pruning, the hydrangea should resume normal bud setting, and the plant should have healthier blooms because of the increased vigor in the plant. It is important to always use sharp tools when pruning hydrangeas or any plant for that matter. Knives, hand cutters, saws, and shears should be sharpened if necessary before pruning any hydrangeas. A sharp cut will heal quicker than a jagged cut, which will also minimize the likelihood of disease investing a cut during pruning. It is generally recommended to not use power equipment such as gas hedgers to prune hydrangeas as this does more harm than good. Pruning large hydrangeas like and older Little Lime Hydrangea may be minor or major. Its general purpose is to maintain or restore vigor to the plant. Large hydrangeas that have been severely pruned have the advantage of a large root system that has excessive capacity, and its roots are capable of supplying all of its energies to a smaller number of branches and foliage. This enables the plant to increase its vigor, and become healthier. Pruning large Hydrangea's that are well established will enable the plant to have continued vigor, and lead to many more years of supplying beauty to the landscape.

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Additional Information

History and introduction of Hydrangeas:

The hydrangea was first cultivated in Japan, but ancient hydrangea fossils dating back to 40-65 million years ago have been discovered in North America. Hydrangeas didn’t appear in Europe until 1736 when a colonist brought a North American varietal to England. The oldest fossil finds were found in North America , namely in Alaska , Oregon and California , they were dated at 40 to 65 million years ago , more recent discoveries in China , Japan , Taiwan and the Philippines prove that the Hydrangea have been on this planet long before the arrival of men . In China and Japan they already cultivated Hydrangea's many thousands of years ago , in North America the medicine men used the roots of H.arborescens as a means to drive out kidney stones and to combat bronchitis. The first Hydrangea arborescens ( North American species) was introduced in England around 1736 from Pennsylvania by Peter Collison. Grovonius gave the plant in 1739 in his work " Flora Virginica ' for the first time the name: Hydrangea . The still famous botanist Carolus Linnaeus , to whom we owe our current plant name system ( binomial nomenclature ) has mentioned already in 1753 the name Hydrangea arborescens . The name hortensia , in Belgium , the Netherlands and France still commonplace, was first used by Philibert Commerson , botanist and plant collector, who found some Hydrangeas in Chinese gardens ( 1767 ) and it took to France , he named the plants: Hortensia opuloides or even Hortensia hortensis . Hydrangeas from Japan Since 1639 it was forbidden for foreigners to travel around in Japan, the only contact was by the island of Dejima in Nagasaki Bay and it was here that Carl Peter Thunberg , a pupil of Linnaeus , settled in 1775 and succeeded to acquire five hydrangeas from the mainland, he later called these plants Viburnum macrophyllum Sir Joseph Banks brought in 1788 a Hydrangea from Japan with him and gave it to Kew Gardens , he called the plant: Hydrangea hortensis ... Doctor and botanist Philipp Franz von Siebold succeeded around 1823 in two trips to the Japanese mainland and toke numerous plants with him. Thanks to his good work in the eye clinic and the gratitude of the patients , he managed to acquire many new plant species ( Hydrangeas ... hostas , ) When he was expelled in 1829 , for allegedly spying for the Russians , and had to leave Japan, he brought with him various kinds , including H. Involucrata , H. anomala ssp . petiolaris ( climbing hydrangea ) , H. Hirta , H.paniculata ..... Partly due to independance war between Belgium and the Nederlands in 1830 , when he arrived in Antwerp harbour he had to leave behind, 260 plants, bulbs and tubers in the botanical garden of Ghent . Around this time ( 1830) the Hydrangea macrophylla got its present botanical name : Hydrangea macrophylla . Plant hunters seek new varieties Around 1879 the famous English nursery Veitch , sent the plant hunter Charles Maries to China and Japan , he would find two hydrangeas and bring back , a Hydrangea with flat flowers (lacecap) he called H.macrophylla 'Mariesii' and a spherical type , he called Hydrangea macrophylla ' Rosea' . Around 1860 the Russian botanist Carl Johann Maximowicz was sent out by the Tsar of Russia to Japan to discover plants and he would eventually bring more than 400 plants to the gardens of St. Petersburg , later in 1867 he published his Revisio Hydrangearum Asiae Orientalis . Species such as Hydrangea. anomala , H.aspera and H. heteromalla were introduced during the 19th century in Europe, thanks to two enthusiastic botanists , namely Francis Buchanan Hamilton and Nathaniel Wallich . While nurseries from Asia , U.S. and Europe in the course of the twentieth century brought mainly numerous cultivars of Hydrangea macrophylla on the market , enthusiastic planthunters and botanists went out in nature discovering new species. From Belgium Robert and Jelena de Belder brought along lots of seeds of numerous expeditions , which were brought to growth and later subsequently crossed. In France, Robert and Corinne Mallet devoted themselves with great enthusiasm , to the genus Hydrangea and after so many expeditions founded the Shamrock collection in Varengeville - sur-mer (Normandy) and released numerous interesting books and publications Hydrangeas such as Hydrangea Sweet Summer are primarily used for landscaping because their petals contain low levels of cyanide, making them unfit for consumption. The exception is hydrangea serrata which Buddhists drink in a sweet tea as part of a cleansing ritual. The tea is said to help treat autoimmune disorders as well as malaria, kidney stones and enlarged prostate. In Western culture the hydrangea has many different uses. Native Americans used the root as a diuretic and the bark as pain relief specifically for muscle pain and burns. Traditionally, hydrangeas are also a polite way of telling a suitor you are uninterested. Now they are beautiful garden decoration that line many houses in suburban America. The etymological meaning of hydrangea stems from the Greek words for water, hydros and jar, angos. The name comes from the constant moisture required to keep the flowers happy, healthy and blooming. In Japan, they are said to be a sign of apology or gratitude because an emperor gave them as apologies to his maidens. To the opposite effect, hydrangeas have a negative sentiment in Europe where they were used to declare arrogance. They also became synonymous with frigidity in the Medieval ages because it was believed that young women who grew them would never find husbands we however do not believe this.

Color Meanings:

Pink – love, sincere emotions
Blue – forgiveness, regret and rejection
White – purity, grace, abundance and bragging
Purple – abundance, wealth and royalty