Fact Sheet

Small pot but big in flower

A 3 year old plant of Strawberries & Cream® hydrangea in our trial garden - notice slight blueing affect as we have very low pH soil. (Adding lime -or Dolomite- to your soil will help to raise the pH. Best Red colours are obtained in a soil with a pH of about 6.0 to 6.2 ; Plants grown in pots should not have any issues)

Introduction

A great new introduction, Strawberries and Cream® is a stunning dark rosy-red white centered lacecap Hydrangea macrophylla. Compact in habit, it makes a perfect long flowering plant happy to be left inside while it flowers, or planted outside in a pot or the garden.

Free flowering, very compact mounding bush with rich dark green leaves, it is very different from most other modern hydrangeas. Perfect as a flowering houseplant, but if you wish to plant outside after it has finished blooming, it can delight you for years to come. They make perfect landscape plants for shady areas of the garden or where they receive filtered light, but this variety we have even had in full morning sun with afternoon filtered light up to 100 deg F.

Key Features

Prolific flowering with beautiful dark rosy-red flowers
Deep green foliage
Compact mounding bush

Suggested Uses

Indoor flowering plant, large patio plant or in the garden

Growth Habit

Compact mounding habit, grows to 3 - 4ft wide and tall

Flower Size

Lacecap-type flowers in clusters.

Spacing

Plant 4 to 5 feet apart for a full landscape effect.

Hardiness

US zone 7 - similar cold hardiness to other hydrangeas

Flowering Period

3-4 months, from Summer to first frost in the garden

Number Of Flowers

Masses of lacecap flower clusters covering the plant throughout summer.

Flower Color

Dark rosy-red offset with a light center

Fragrance

Not fragrant.

Foliage

Deciduous plant with medium-sized rich dark green leaves.

Pruning/Pinching

Not necessary, but can prune to shape after flowering if required

Temperature

Foliage can be scorched during very hot weather particularly if the plants are exposed to full sun for part of the day.

Light Needs

Shade to part shade for best performance, but will tolerate some sun, preferably morning sun

Soil Needs

Performs best in friable, well-drained soil high in organic matter with a pH of 6.5 to maximize the red coloration of the open flowers.

Water Needs

Water well to establish, requires less water when established but soil should be kept moist for best performance.

Fertilizer

Feed with a general purpose fertilizer (20:20:20) before growth occurs in the Spring.

Disease Tolerance

No different than other varieties, well grown plants have minimal issues. If insects or mildew become an issue, check with best sprays from your local nursery. We have had these plants in our trials for 3 years and not had any issues that have required any attention

Pest Issues

Similar pest tolerance to other varieties.

Special Care

These hydrangeas are generally presented as a gift line and, in most instances, grown in a greenhouse at 60-65 degrees, forced and marketed as a floral hydrangea and therefore perform best indoors.

They can eventually be moved outdoors and planted, but it is recommended to wait until the average night time temperature reaches 60 degrees.

Mildew may be a problem when weather conditions favor disease.