From Marie Iannotti,
Your Guide to Gardening.
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Peegee Hydrangea (H. paniculata ‘Grandiflora’) is the most commonly grown variety. Peegee’s have massive snowball shaped flower clusters in mid to late summer. The flowers start out white and slowly turn pink, drying and remaining on the plant long after the leaves have fallen. These are also the varieties you see trained into standards that look like small trees.

Peegee’s don’t require hard pruning to the ground. New flower buds will be set on new spring growth. Some gentle pruning in late winter or early spring will not only keep the plants from becoming overgrown, it will also encourage more new growth and hopefully more flower buds. You can remove dead flowers, as soon as they become unattractive and clean up the overall shape of the plant.

Tea of Heaven (H. serrata) is a small shrub with narrow, pointed leaves and flattened flowerheads. It is sometimes confused with H. macrophylla because the flowers can look like lacecaps and/or be blue or pink, but it by no means has big leaves. H. serrata also blooms on new wood and should be pruned in late winter or early spring.

Climbing Hydrangea (H. anomala petiolaris) is the type you see slowly making its way up a tree or support. It is actually a vine, not a shrub and requires little to no pruning. Once climbing hydrangeas become established, they can grow quite vigorously and may need occasional summer pruning to stay in bounds.

In a Nut Shell:

1. Summer pruning after flowers fade -
   • Bigleaf or Florist Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla)

2. Late winter early spring pruning -
   • Hills-of-Snow or Sevenbark Hydrangea (H. arborescens ‘Grandiflora’),

   • Oakleaf Hydrangea (H. quercifolia,

   • Peegee Hydrangea (H. paniculata ‘Grandiflora’),

   • Tea of Heaven (H. serrata)

3. Prune as needed to control growth -
   • Climbing Hydrangea (H. anomala petiolaris)