Hydrangea Dragon Baby™ Panicle Hydrangea

A Bloomin' Easy® variety, Dragon Baby™, a dwarf panicle hydrangea, is a woody deciduous shrub offering year-round interest. A consistent bloomer, creating a season-long floral display, it flowers continuously in cone-shaped inflorescences on new wood, beginning in midsummer until the first frost. The Rubenesque flower clusters sit atop long, thick stems covered in large, serrate, dark green leaves that, in fall, tinge yellow and gold, and sometimes reddish purple. The blooms transform from lime green to rich pink as they age and 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. Dragon Baby 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.

Dragon Baby 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 the plant 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, so it thrives in urban areas.