Strawberry Sundae hydrangea: An easy flowering landscape shrub

As the seasons begin to change, it is time to think about adding new plants to the landscape. Hydrangea flowers have always been very popular and are common additions to gorgeous yards. Strawberry Sundae Hydrangeas are wonderful variations because they add a bright pop of color and texture to any yard.

Strawberry Sundae Hydrangea plants are known for their vibrant flowers. The blooms begin the season as pure white and begin to change colors from a soft pink to deep red throughout the summer. Caring for Strawberry Sundae panicle hydrangeas includes medium watering and partial to full sun. These pollinator plants are lovely as a single shrub, but can also be planted in long rows for a stunning flowering hedge.

Continue reading to learn more about Strawberry Sundae Hydrangeas.

Strawberry Sundae hydrangea: The basics

Strawberry Sundae Hydrangea is a cultivar of Panicle Hydrangea bred by First Editions® Plants. This compact variety produces masses of white flowers that mature to a warm pink color as summer progresses. Strawberry Sundae is beautiful in the landscape, and the bloom clusters also make lovely cut flowers for bouquets and floral arrangements. This low-maintenance flowering shrub also attracts beneficial creatures such as butterflies.

Strawberry Sundae Hydrangea gained its name from the flowers this plant produces. These gorgeous blooms have lots of small white flowers that seem to almost be dyed a vibrant pink color. The blooms often begin as white and begin to mature into the vibrant pink and sometimes deep red that has earned them its name. This color change happens throughout the season as the flowers are exposed to sunlight.

On some Strawberry Sundae Hydrangeas, the blooms have more white than pink, while others will have the opposite. The color also tends to become more intense later in the year. Regardless, the beautiful and vibrant coloring of the blooms gives stunning color to any yard.

First Editions® Strawberry Sundae® Panicle Hydrangea is a compact hydrangea when compared to its older sibling the Vanilla Strawberry Hydrangea. The smaller Strawberry Sundae shrubs can mature to reach four to five feet in height. These shrubs will expand to cover three to four feet in width. This makes for a nice-sized plant. Because the vibrancy and size of the plant may seem flamboyant and attention-seeking, you might consider placing the Strawberry Sundae Hydrangea next to trees or other large plants to help it blend and fit in a little better.

The Latin genus name Hydrangea has a deeper meaning, describing the plant. Hydor can also be known as “water” in Greek, and aggeion (the ending part of the word “Hydrangea”) is describing the “vessel” or cup-shaped seed capsules that develop on flowering blooms of the plant. Even the word Panicultata has a deeper meaning to describe the Strawberry Sundae Hydrangea plant, referring to the specific arrangement of the small and delicate flowers in small clusters or panicles.

Buying Strawberry Sundae hydrangea plants

The following garden centers offer Strawberry Sundae Hydrangea plants for sale:

• Strawberry Sundae Hydrangea plant, from Nature Hills
• Strawberry Sundae Hydrangea plant, from Home Depot
• Strawberry Sundae Hydrangea plant, from Planting Tree

The Strawberry Sundae® Panicle Hydrangea is a First Editions® cultivar of panicle hydrangea.

How to plant Strawberry Sundae hydrangea?

Planting Strawberry Sundae Hydrangeas in the early spring or during the fall season is the best. This will allow them to properly grow and mature during the summer heat.

Strawberry Sundae Hydrangeas need a planting location in partial sun to full sun. This means the plants should receive at least six hours of adequate sunlight each day. The plants may benefit from some afternoon shade in hot climates, but can typically grow in full sun all day in most locations.

Dig a wide, shallow hole for the Strawberry Sundae Hydrangea plant. The hole should be twice as wide as the plant pot, but no deeper than the soil inside the plant pot.

Pull the nursery pot planter off the root ball. Carefully loosen up any large roots visible on the outside of the root ball. Place the plant inside the hole, making sure the level of the potting mix around the stem is at the same height level as the soil surrounding the planting hole. Backfill the hole with the soil that came out of the hole. Do not bury the hydrangea plant any deeper than the original soil level inside the plant pot.

Plant care for Strawberry Sundae hydrangea

Strawberry Sundae Hydrangeas need a “medium” level of water. Begin by allowing the regular sprinkler system to water your yard to water the Hydrangeas. During hot days and months, consider turning the sprinklers back on in the afternoon or watering them with a hose to give them all the moisture they need.

Hydrangeas need to receive the right amount of sunlight and water to survive. In order for this plant to survive in more desert-like climates, it will likely need more water. One difficult factor to accommodate is the lack of sunlight and warmth. Strawberry Sundae Hydrangeas will have a hard time growing and thriving in areas of extreme cold and low sunlight.

Fertilizer for Strawberry Sundae hydrangea

Strawberry Sundae Hydrangeas are generally fed in the early spring and sometimes in mid-summer. Different fertilizer products have different guidelines for how much and how often to apply the fertilizer to the soil around the plant.

As with most plants, you will need to be careful as to how much and how often you fertilize your Strawberry Sundae Hydrangea. Too little fertilizer combined with naturally poor soil means your plants will develop paleness in their leaves and poor, slow growth.

For this reason, be careful to only fertilize Strawberry Sundae Hydrangea when needed. A soil test can help identify any soil nutrient deficiencies.

Here are some appropriate fertilizers for Strawberry Sundae Hydrangea plants:

• Espoma Holly-Tone Organic Food For Evergreen & Flowering Shrubs (4-3-4) from Nature Hills
• Jobe’s Organic Knock-Out Rose Plant Food Fertilizer with BioZome (3-4-3) from Home Depot
• Dr. Earth Flower Girl Bud & Bloom Booster Organic Granular Fertilizer (3-9-4) from Nature Hills

Be sure to read the instructions on the specific fertilizer you choose as application amounts and frequencies vary between brands. Read more about hydrangea fertilizers.

Pruning Strawberry Sundae hydrangeas

Due to the growing season of this summer-flowering shrub, it should be pruned near the fall or winter. With that being said, it is also important to remember that many different varieties of Hydrangeas, including Strawberry Sundae Hydrangeas, do not have to be pruned every year. It is time to prune the shrub if it begins to decline in the number of flowering buds or begins to grow too much. Proper pruning can enhance and beautify the flowering blooms.

Common pests that attack Strawberry Sundae hydrangeas

Strawberry Sundae Hydrangeas can be attractive to pests, including aphids, spider mites, slugs, and Japanese beetles. Fortunately, recognizing them is fairly straightforward. These pests are all possible to conquer if you have the right tools.

One is to wash the leaves and stems down with soapy water. Another is to treat the whole plant with an organic insecticide. Here are some effective natural pesticide options for treating pest bugs on Strawberry Sundae Hydrangea plants:

• Bug Buster O Organic Garden Pesticide from Hoss Tools
• Dr. Earth Final Stop Natural Rose & Flower Insect Killer Spray from Nature Hills
• ARBER Organic Bio Insecticide Concentrate for Indoor & Outdoor Use

Be sure to follow the application instructions and frequency guidelines on the specific product you choose.

Diseases affecting Strawberry Sundae hydrangeas

Strawberry Sundae Hydrangeas, being panicle hydrangeas, are less prone to disease than many other varieties. That said, they are somewhat susceptible to powdery mildew, bud blight, leaf spot, and bacterial wilt. Most of these are caused or exacerbated by overwatering, too much shade, or too little ventilation within your plant.

One way to treat disease is to decrease watering and increase air circulation around the plant. Alternatively, transplant it to an area with better soil drainage or more air movement. Commercial organic fungicides also tend to be effective in treating fungal infections in Strawberry Sundae Hydrangea plants:

• Complete Disease Control Organic Biofungicide/Bactericide from Hoss Tools
• Dr. Earth Final Stop Organic Disease Control Fungicide from Nature Hills
• ARBER Organic Bio Fungicide Concentrate for Indoor & Outdoor Use

Follow the application instructions and frequency guidelines listed on the product you choose.