Panicle hydrangeas are tough, hardy, and easy to grow – they make for the ideal shrub in sunny gardens where other varieties might struggle.
Imagine the puffer fish as a larger version of Bobo with larger, fluffier flowers that grow 3-6 feet tall and wide – perfect for landscaping as a hedge, specimen planting, or mixed garden feature!
Features
Puffer Fish Hydrangea is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with a mounded form and relatively coarse texture, setting itself apart from landscape plants with finer foliage. Producing bold conical white flowers from early summer through fall that fade to pink over time from distinctive chartreuse flower buds, its deciduous green serrated pointy leaves don’t develop any fall color and serve as the centerpiece for container plantings where its blooms can stand out as focal points; suitable as a foundation planting or as ‘thrillers’ in containers filled with smaller filler plants while spillovers into other containers as focal points of interest; Puffer Fish hydrangea can even serve as the centerpiece as it stands out among finer foliage plants used as fillers.
Blooms
Imagine an over-stuffed Bobo to get an idea of the impressive, over-the-top flowers found on Puffer Fish panicle hydrangeas that bloom all summer. Their gigantic white blooms can obscure much of a shrub’s foliage with their enormous size and white hue; as the plants age, they begin turning lime green for an exciting surprise!
As with other varieties of hydrangeas, puffer fish blooms comprise two distinct flowerhead styles: lace cap and mophead. Mophead flowers feature round blooms resembling those seen on pom-poms or “mops,” while lace-cap blooms feature flat flowerheads of subdued colors surrounded by more showy sepals similar to what one would find on roses or rhododendrons.
While hydrangeas prefer full sunlight, they will tolerate some light shade as long as their roots can drain freely into well-draining, moderately fertile soil with well-draining drainage channels and good drainage. Once established, they’re drought-resistant and heat and wind-tolerant, making them an excellent landscape option across much of America.
With its dense mounded shape, Hardy hydrangea makes a striking specimen plant or attractive backdrop in mixed gardens. Growing to between 3-4′ tall and wide, this hardy variety can also serve as a privacy screen around homes or be planted into large containers for use as an accent border or border feature in any landscape setting.
As is the case with other varieties of hydrangeas, puffer fish hydrangea produces an abundance of blooms from early summer through fall – ideal for decorating indoor spaces or dried for winter arrangements. Pest-resistant and low maintenance requirements make this variety of panicle hydrangea easier than other varieties to cultivate as it responds less quickly to environmental factors and soil pH conditions than its peers.
Puffer fish hydrangeas should be pruned between late winter and early spring, though some prefer cutting back by roughly one-third of their height immediately before new growth begins to appear each spring. This helps ensure strong stems to support its abundance of flowers.
Foliage
Hydrangea paniculatas and Limelight, in particular, are some of the sunniest varieties available, yet they still require regular watering to prevent wilting and flower set. Well-draining soil is best, as Panicle hydrangeas don’t tend to care much for extended periods of soggy ground either. Plus, Panicle varieties tend to be more resilient against pests than their counterparts!
“Puffer Fish” is a dense, mounded plant with green deciduous foliage that stands out thanks to its relatively coarse texture and finer leaves than many landscape plants in your garden. This one will especially shine in shaded spots where its robust form stands out.
This hydrangea blooms at its height, with large clusters of white blooms covering its shrub. From early summer through fall, these puffy clouds of white flowers emerge and may display light pink or lime green tints when fully mature.
These large clusters of pure white flowers make beautiful cut flowers when dried; their delicate petals retain color and form after being cut, making them especially striking when placed into vases for display.
This cultivar is an excellent choice for landscape design as either a specimen plant or a group planted. It works exceptionally well at the front of mixed borders or as an accent plant in smaller gardens and patio containers. Furthermore, this variety performs well when planted as part of a ‘spiller-thriller-filler’ container combination or alone in larger pots.
This hardy hydrangea boasts a semi-compact, mounded habit and produces beautiful blooms on new growth. Once extreme cold has subsided, pruning should occur again in late winter; watering must continue throughout spring and fall to maintain fullness and healthiness of appearance. However, not an essential fertilization regimen, slow-release shrub, tree food (in spring), and light applications of granular phosphate (in fall) should work just fine for this species.
Care
This easy-to-grow, mind-boggling panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata Puffer Fish(tm)) offers stunning blooms without ever flopping over. Like its larger cousin, the Bobo, its fluffy white flowers completely cover the plant during peak flowering season – obscuring even its leaves at times! As they mature through summer, they turn lime green; for added fun, a small tuft of new blooms appears at each inflorescence like little water droplets from a pufferfish!
Proven Winners(r) ColorChoice shrubs boasting compact growth patterns are great companions for other shade garden plants yet stand out in landscape design. Plant 3-5 feet apart for fuller effects or use it to form hedges, backdrops, or accents in mixed plantings. It is also great in large containers where their size makes an excellent backdrop to smaller plant life.
Like all panicle hydrangeas, this variety requires regular watering to maintain moist but not wet conditions in its growing area. It tolerates various light conditions, from full sun or light shade to partial shade, preferring full sun over partial shade in hot climates and some afternoon shade for cooling purposes in hotter climates. A 2-3″/5-7cm layer of shredded bark mulch can help the roots retain moisture more effectively and slow the rate of water loss from their hearts; panicle hydrangeas have shallow roots, which makes them among most drought-tolerant types of hydrangeas once established – best results should be fertilizing early spring with granular rose fertilizer explicitly designed for woody plants such as rose fertilizer for best results.
“Puffer Fish” hydrangeas are hardy, fast-growing flowering shrubs that are deer-resistant and perfect for any landscape design. Not only do they add the show to any flowering shrub border or perennial garden front row, but they also rebloom several times throughout the season – perfect for cutting and drying to make an eye-catching bouquet or cut flower arrangements! Sure to become popular garden center offerings this season and beyond – look for ‘Limelight” and ‘Pink Perfection” among Proven Winners(r).
