Plant this easy to grow, low maintenance shrub in your garden and enjoy beautiful fresh cut and dried flowers too.
This is a public service announcement:
If you’re looking for an easy to grow, low maintenance shrub in your garden that will provide you with both beautiful cut and dried flowers, plant a Limelight Hydrangea!
We have five Limelight hydrangeas planted around the Potting Shed.
‘Limelight’ is a paniculata hydrangea with panicle-shaped flower heads that grow 6 to 12 inches long. Unlike other hydrangea varieties, they are drought tolerant, preferring part to full sun.
We planted three Limelight hydrangeas as a hedge on one side of the Potting Shed in the fall of 2015. The other two are planted on opposite corners.
You can see how much they’ve grown in three years. . .
Garden Height: 72 – 96 Inches
Spread: 72 – 96 Inches
Limelight hydrangeas are hardy in zones 3 – 9 (we’re zone 7b). If you don’t know your gardening zone, you can find a USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map and look up your zone by zipcode, here.
Limelight hydrangeas are fast growing and low maintenance!
They bloom mid-summer when everything else is in the garden is beginning to fade and looking tired and spent. . . like I do mid-July, after lugging my hose around in 90+ degree temps.
The creamy-chartreuse color flowers transition to a burnished pink-bronze color in the fall.
You can’t beat them for a cut or dried flower.
Blue, White and Limelights Table and Vignette
Summer into Fall Transistional Table with Limelight Hydrangeas
Pumpkins and Plaid Alfresco Fall Table
Easy DIY Fall Harvest Arrangement
A Watering Can Welcome
Limelights are extremely durable, long-lived, and easy to grow. They like the full sun in cold climates and benefit from some afternoon shade in warmer ones. They do require well-drained soil.
Limelights bloom on new wood, so they should be pruned in late winter or early spring, before new growth begins. To prune, simply cut back by one-third its total height.
I caught this bumblebee crawling out of the flower head after taking a nap. . .
And spied a female Ruby-throated Hummingbird, feeding at a limelight bloom. She might have been after insects nearby, but she was flitting around the blooms for quite a while!
This concludes your public service announcement!
Thank you for your visit, sharing with:
Metamorphosis Monday
Thank you for the public service announcement Mary! I can see I definitely need a Limelight hydrangea (or 5!) in my garden.Those blooms are SO beautiful. Stay cool. ♥
I love this announcement! I’ve been telling everyone that reads my blog how great they are for several years because they’re so reliable even way up north here in zone 5a. I don’t have blooms yet but all of a sudden they’ll appear and let the show begin! Love all the arrangements you’ve used them in- you are such a wonderful inspiration!
hello, such a beautiful garden I love the hydrangea’s so going to plant some, I was wondering what you feed your garden to keep it so green and healthy looking? also to keep the bugs off? lyn
J’aime beaucoup les fleurs blanches et particulièrement les hortensias, mais je trouve que la pluie les abîme rapidement en les brunissant.
Merci encore pour ces si belles photos;
Très bonne journée
Swoon Mary….so much to love here…in the garden by your shed and at your tables. I need to head to the garden center pronto or this fall! Pinning to my ‘plant it’ and tablescape boards. Thank you for the blooming inspiration!
Thank You for sharing. I need something that can take the sun.
Mary, thank you for your service! I need some of these for sure…living in the middle of corn and beans and a large septic system in my back yard, leaves you with no trees in my yard..sooo, I’ve been putting in more drought tolerant plants and this foots the bill!! And, love the tea table..I also love the fact that these dry so pretty!! Again, thank you for your PSA!! ❤️🇺🇸🌼🌸🌺
What a timely post, for me, Mary! I’ve been wanting to plant a border along a back fence and haven’t been able to really find a plant that really suites my fancy!!! So, now I think I have found it. And 5 Limelights will work perfectly!!! Can’t wait to share this with my “planter” hubby!!! ALSO, Mary, I love the scrolling photos on the side of your blog page!!!
You don’t have to tell me twice to plant it. The funny thing is I did a few weeks ago. I was a little nervous about it because I have planted a hydrangea bush years ago and it didn’t do well at all. I always thought the trees were beautiful and I needed something to replace this dreaded holly which was such a nuisance, all the dead leaves would pinch when you would clean out the mulch beds. So with my fingers crossed, I’m waiting for it to bloom.
They are beautiful! We are in a zone to grow them. I am going to start looking. What is the best time of year to plant them? And, the hydrangea (leaves) we have isn’t healthy like yours. Our leaves tend to get diseased, black spots on them. Any suggestions? Thank you! Enjoyed the hummingbird picture.
Hi Teresa, It sounds like the spots are fungal leaf spots or rust spots from heavy rainfall or overhead watering. Water at the base of the plant instead of on the leaves to help reduce it. You can read more about it here.
I have seen both Limelight and Little Lime at Lowes. I have planted hydrangeas spring and summer, even on the hottest days. You just have to keep them watered..
I only have one and wish I had five. It is almost in bloom. I have a few dried blooms from two years ago. They keep on giving! Thanks for a lovely morning greeting.
Lovely plant, that hydrangea, but I doubt that it would survive our extreme heat we’ve been having this summer…too bad, because I love this plant and all of its showiness…Thank you for your tips and for sharing these gorgeous pictures. Be cool this weekend…Going to feel like 106 here this weekend…hooray for air conditioning! No gardening for me at that time, except for watering my plants…..
I live in Oklahoma and we have had extreme heat this year with little rain since early June. My Limelight has been beautiful for the last three years and has outdone itself this year. I do water it occasionally when the leaves droop, but that has only been two times this year with weeks of over 100° weather. Bet you could grow them where you are too. Ione, a transplanted Oakie.
I live in the Tampa Bay area of Florida, which is not kind to hydrangeas. My bushes live don’t grow and I may get one bloom a year. I’ve asked every garden center I know what to do but they are clueless and my book on hydrangeas offers no help. They bring in forced hydrangeas from the Carolinas around Easter and then, obviously, they don’t bloom again. So, instead, I use subtle hydrangea throws, artwork, linens and pottery to bring these lovely blooms into my Country French bedroom. I keep them in the bedroom so as not to over-hydrangea the entire home. Unfortunately, the husband will not agree to move north just so I can grow hydrangeas like we have seen all over Savannah.
Mary, what is not to love about limelights?!!!! They are definitely the star of my garden along with the vanilla strawberry hydrangeas! Looking forward to Floral Friday❤️
I planted four last fall and have been anxiously awaiting their blooms. I have not been disappointed!
Absolutely beautiful! Love the quilt..did you make it or purchase it.
They are gorgeous! I will definitely be planting some this fall! Thanks for your PSA!
THey’re gorgeous. I had one of these (fairly young) and the utility company destroyed it when they took down trees for power lines. They owe me one. Thanks for the reminder!
what beauty surrounds you! Gorgeous! I bought a Pee Gee Hydrangea last year and placed in a pot and now it’s huge. The white flowers are opening sparsely still, but each flower head is large. i wonder if this is kin to the Lime light hydrangea you have? You have some beauties for sure.
Hi Betsy, A Pee Gee is also a type of paniculata hydrangea! :)
You’ve certainly convinced me, Mary! I know just where I’m going to plant a couple of these limelights. Thank you for sharing the info about them, and their beauty with us!
hydrangea heaven! Gorgeous Mary, this is the plant for me, low maintenance!!
Jenna
What inspiration!!! I have 12 hydrangeas of different varieties and sadly only 3 are getting blooms. Beautiful foliage but no blooms. Any words of wisdom?
Hi Amy it depends on the variety and when they’re pruned. There is a helpful article from Southern Living here: https://www.southernliving.com/garden/flowers/hydrangea-care
I can’t find these at any of our outdoor stores…..did you possibly by them through a catalog?
You always have the best photographs, great job.
No, We bought them at Lowe’s. They might be available again in the fall when it’s planting weather or you can try a smaller nursery or online source. 🌺
I cannot tell you how happy this post makes me! Hydrangeas are my favorite flower, but all 7 of mine are located in the shade. I have never seen them as a hedge out in the sun. Simply gorgeous! I’m already excited about choosing plants for my next home.
Betsy
Hi Mary-I am writing this on my laptop as I wanted to get a good view of all your beautiful pictures. The hummingbird picture is nature at its best! Hummingbirds are a favorite! This is a fact filled PSA that I am certain all your readers will enjoy! I will be on the lookout for these as I think they are gorgeous! Do you think they would they work with just east morning sun in the south? We are probably in the same zone as I am in SW TN. I do have a question on the pink hydrangeas in the urns-do they stay in the urns year round or do you transplant them in the ground at some point? I have two very large urns & am looking for a long term solution to keeping them planted with something that is colorful. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Stay cool and remember hose lugging builds muscle! LOL Clara
Oh dear. We planted 3 LLH in full sun in morning and shade after noon all day,…..and have been watering like crazy. That’s what my landscaper designer told me to plant there. Full sun, eh? Hrm…..well dang.
Right away they’re been growing and producing flowers – the deer ate the heads off soon as they bloomed,,,,,but hubs put up a fish line fence in front ya can’t see from the road – and also hung a pie tin to blow around and scare them – I think it’s working because it has bloomed again – not as big as the last blossoms, but at least it’s performing.
Hope we didn’t waste our money.
If so maybe I will have to move them. Ugh, hope not. Keeping my fingers crossed.
Yours look AMAZING – so huge and so many huge flower heads, yipppppeeeeee!
Your llh are gorgeous. I have three planted as a “privacy hedge” to give a semblance of privacy and they have grown huge! Ok the first 2 years, and this year they really became incredible. Have you tried the little limes? We had our yard reworked and after 4 years, have discovered the dreaded rosette disease in some 6 year old knockouts. No clue how or why it shows up now, but had to remove them and thinking the smaller version of the llh might work well. I am zone 7b and they would get light shade in afternoon only….
Thanks for all the wonderful pictures and ideas you share; I never say thank you enough!
Unfortunately we cannot grow beloved hydrangeas in Phoenix, Arizona. However, I felt transported by all your beautiful pictures today! Thanks for sharing!
Hear! Hear! Say it a little louder for those in the back!
Very cool to see that hummer around it, even if it was for tiny bugs. I love that!
This is one of my favorite plants, too. You can put 3 – 5 in a vase, and you’ve got yourself an arrangement. We also have little limelights and vanilla-strawberry hydrangeas.
How do you dry them to put in arrangements later in the fall?
I cut them when the petals have a ‘papery’ texture and just put them in a vase or container. They will dry naturally without doing anything to them when they reach the ‘papery’ stage.
Love thanks for the fall preview sneak peak…..just got a cool crisp morning breeze when looking at those. :)
Mary, I want to plant some and give this a try. I have a neighbor who planted a complete bed of Limelights last year. I doubted that they would make it here in TX, but sure enough they are blooming this summer. I asked my neighbor and she did say that they take a lot of water. We are resticted to one day a week watering with irrigation unless one has a private well, which my neighbor has. We do not have a well. I may try a few plants and see how well they do. I’d love to have hydrangea blooms all summer. Your shurbs are gorgeous.
Mary, you have highlight my favorite hydrangea, just love the limelights and pee gees. I have pee gees at the far end of my garden with limelights in front of them and they are both absolutely beautiful at this moment. I too have cut them and brought them inside in the fall and sprayed them with a dried flower preservative and they still look great. A dear friend is visiting and just yesterday asked how I dried them and she was amazed to hear that they dry that way naturally. I agree with Mary everyone needs limelight hydrangeas in their garden.
Well it sure is tempting because it so pretty and sounds like a great performer, however, my back yard is mostly shade and the front yard has more sun, but all the good spots are taken. I could possibly put a pair along the property line. 🤔 I am so disappointed that neither of my Mopheads have bloomed. I’m tempted to yank them out and replace with Azaleas as my bush never disappoints and is so pretty in the spring. Thanks for the lovely Limelight show!
Planted four limelight hydrangeas, two vanilla strawberry, one white snowball and one red! Yea.
My kind of announcement! The word drought speaks to me, I am going to hedge up pronto! FABULOUS pics as always, off to find a nursery 😉
Love your fall table with the lime-light hydrangeas. I saw them at the garden center yesterday. Even though all my beds are full I’m going to have to find a spot for that beauty!
Lovely, I always covet your hydrangeas…we have clay soil—so. short of hauling in a truckload of dirt—hydrangeas simply do not bloom for me. I will have to try again.
Well, that sure was an expensive blog post….I just ordered FIVE !!
thank you very much….HA!!
You’re going to be happy you did! 😀🌺
Mary, I am so happy to read about your Limelight Hydrangeas! I know I can grow them here in central Florida and am so excited that we have our preliminary architectural plans for our back yard so I know where I will finally be able to garden! These will be among my first purchases! I always enjoy seeing how you use your cut hydrangeas!
Mary~
I have just one, but after your annoucement and seeing what a pretty hedge these are grouped together, I am definitely getting several more plus these do remind me of our vacation on Martha’sVineyard !
Thanks for your Public Service, you get my vote !!
Paula
IN
Hydrangeas are a favourite of mine, although, I don’t have Limelight. They will grow in my area too. Once I move, I will be looking for things to plant in my new garden. It is much bigger than my present garden. There are some hydrangeas already planted, but I don’t know what kind. Thanks for the tips.
I really agree with you! We have miniature limelights and they are wonderful! Last year I couldn’t bring myself to cut them but this year they are in jars and vases all around the kitchen.
How do u keep them upright & not flopping over? I planted 8 as a hedge & in zone 7b as well.
I’ve been wanting limelights for awhile. You’ve convinced me. I love the coloring of them in the fall. So beautiful on your fall table setting.
Thank you Mary. I have 7 Limelight hydrangeas located around my yard. They are easy care and they don’t droop from their massive flower heads. They can also be cut to a few inches above ground level to keep them in check since they are such vigorous growers. Also, for smaller gardens, there is Little Limel, a dwarf version but just as beautiful. It reaches 3-5 get talk and wide.
Thank you for all your wonderful posts!
I am re-doing my front yard landscape and I just planted Little Limes, 15 of them!!! I cannot wait to see them bloom in the spring! I also put in a Limelight tree, it’s going to be beautiful! I am completely addicted to hydrangeas and yours are amazing!
So where can I get these pls?
A garden center or nursery.
Gorgeous! I live here in Nashville TN and everyone had a pretty yard blooming with this flower this summer. But I am thinking you must have a green thumb because all your plants look so healthy.
So pretty I need to plant some.
Absolutely Beautiful. I plan to ant beside my David Austin roses next year. I. The midst of construction now
My Limelight Hydrangea has grown as tall as the roof line of our house. It is amazing and it sits opposite a huge corner of Annabelle Hydrangeas in my garden. Amazing plants and so easy to grow. I recommend both of these to delight everyone.
So absolutely gorgeous! We live in SW Florida, which is dry to drought most of the year, and drenched the remainder of the year. I have never tried hydrangeas of any kind. Would they work here?
Hi Cyndie, Limelight hydrangeas are hardy in zones 3 – 9 (we’re zone 7b). If you don’t know your gardening zone, you can find a USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map and look up your zone by zipcode, here.
Do the deer eat these? We live at the lake in East Texas and have to battle the deer every spring through summer, its awful. I would like to grow these but am wondering if I will set myself up for failure? Does anyone know?
I received some LLH; I am a little confused when seeing images, I see bushes, and some like dwarf trees titled LLH, I would like both looks. Is this possible?
Hi Terry, Limelight hydrangeas grow up to 8 feet tall and 6 feet wide, while Little Lime hydrangeas stay between 3 and 5 feet tall and wide, so more shrub-like in size. How you prune them would determine whether they look like trees or shrubs.
What a lovely idea! I have wanted hydrangeas in my yard forever, but I live in Central Texas and it is SO hot and dry here in the summer! I am encouraged that I may have found a flower I can grow here! Thank you!