A Proven Winners® ColorChoice® Flowering Shrubs variety, Tiny Quick Fire® Panicle Hydrangea is a woody deciduous shrub offering year-round interest. This charming hydrangea is small and versatile, perfect for the front of the border or for planting in drifts. It blooms early to create an extra-long seasonal display, flowering continuously on new wood, beginning in early summer until the first frost. The Rubenesque flower clusters are packed with unique cupped florets and transform from white to pinky red as they mature. Borne on long, thick stems, the mopheads make long-lasting cuts for fresh and dried arrangements.
After the first frost, flower clusters turn tan to caramel, and along with the shredding and peeling papery brown bark on mature plants revealing glimpses of the underlying cinnamon hue of stems and branches, they add a textural element to the winter garden, especially pleasing in a snowy landscape. The hollow stems also provide nesting habitats for bees.
Panicle hydrangeas are tough, cold hardy, and one of the easiest hydrangeas to grow. Tiny Quick Fire is right at home in hot, humid summers but performs well in cooler temperatures too. The multistemmed shrub has a compact, upright habit of semi-arching branches and a rapid growth rate. It grows best in locations with morning sun and afternoon shade in Zones 7-8 with full to part sun in Zones 3-6. It prefers rich, loamy, moist, well-draining soil but is highly adaptable to a wide range of conditions and soils, including alkaline and clay soils. Cutting back plants by 1/3 its total height each spring, just as the new growth begins to emerge, encourages abundant flowering. Panicle hydrangea is generally pest resistant and more sun and drought tolerant than other hydrangeas. It is also tolerant of air pollution and thrives in urban areas.
When fall nights grow cooler, some panicle hydrangeas may reveal pink or red accents, an enchanting transformation that's natural and variable. In milder climates, expect blooms to stay closer to their original creamy tones.
