Hail Hydra!

If you’ve ever grown hydrangeas, you know they crave one element more than any others: water. With “hydra” as part of their name, you can probably guess they are not drought-tolerant plants. Plus, their shallow root systems lose moisture quickly. On average, hydrangeas need water at least every other day, and deep watering once/week. 

BUT…some varieties can do better in the hot, rainless, dog days of summer than others. Try these Zone 3-8 options:

• Vanilla-Strawberry. These enormous, fast-growing beauties have heavy stems, and are the one of the hardiest varieties you can plant in mostly-full sun. If you go out of town and miss the watering schedule, they won’t droop or drop their bi-colored blooms.
• Bobo. If you’re looking for a smaller/compact hydrangea on a woody stem, this is an excellent option. Because their forms are dense, compact and shrub-like, they shade their own roots, helping them maintain moisture and keep those white blooms happy.
• Quick Fire. Super-hardy and tree-like in stem and growth, this stunner will surprise you throughout the season with ever-changing bloom colors. On the rare occasion it wilts, a slow, deep watering springs it back promptly. Also available in dwarf variety.
• Little Lime. Small but mighty, this beauty wows with chartreuse blooms, brightening to white, then pink, then burgundy throughout the season. All this drama happens on sturdy stems that actually benefit from soil drying out to two inches! Bonus: They work well in containers.

So if you’re in the market for hydrangeas—but worry about watering needs—choose panicle varieties like these. Then relax on your porch, deck or garden bench and enjoy the show!