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Help Identifying Hydrangea

abrink1509394abrink1509394 Posts: 10
in Plants
Does anyone know what kind of hydrangea this is? Sorry the picture is rotated - can't figure out how to rotate it. I am trying to figure out if I am supposed to be cutting it back before Winter or not. I have cut it the past couple of years, but it never grows back any larger than this, and has not flowered since this picture multiple years ago. I also notice that all of the old growth where I have cut is still there and just like a dead end stick with nothing growing from it. That is making me think I should not be trimming it. 

Posts

  • abrink1509394abrink1509394 Posts: 10
    Here is another picture of it that same year it flowered. 
  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    That looks like a variety of H. Macrophylla which flowers on old wood, ie the previous year’s growth.  Leave the flowers to fade now and just snip them off below the flower, above the closest new buds, in spring.  You could encourage your plant to grow next year by improving the surrounding soil with the addition of some organic matter either as a mulch over winter or digging it into the surrounding soil, removing the stones first.
    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • ViewAheadViewAhead Posts: 866
    Although hydrangeas like shade, they do prefer open shade.  If under trees, they will not flower well.  They also like a lot of water.

    If it hasn't flowered for a number of yrs, either it doesn't like its situation or you have trimmed away the wood it flowers from.  I'd say don't prune and if it doesn't flower next yr, move it to a different spot. 
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    I wouldn’t cut that back at all for a couple of years,  just snip off the old flower heads at the end of March. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I agree with @Lyn. It's too small to need any pruning. When bigger, it would be done late winter/early spring, depending on the climate/conditions in the site. Heavy frosts can knock back new growth, so it'll depend where you are.
    They flower here prolifically in quite dense shade, it's moisture and decent enough soil they need most to thrive. 
    I think the fact that you've been cutting it back each year isn't allowing it to actually grow, along with possibly/probably the general growing conditions not being ideal to enable that. In the right soil, and with adequate moisture, that should be a lot bigger by now. If you remove the gravel and do as @Plantminded describes by adding more organic matter, that will help a good bit.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    edited September 2023
    Hydrangea maculata is as close as I can get.

    What is the ground cover?  It looks a bit like Cotswold chippings to me. That would see off any blue.
     location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
  • abrink1509394abrink1509394 Posts: 10
    It is rock of some kind - it was here when I moved in so I did not lay it. 

    Thank you all for the great suggestions! I will for sure act on all of them, and hopefully I am able to save this plant. 

    I am located in Wisconsin, so the winter here is quite hard. 
  • ViewAheadViewAhead Posts: 866
    Hydrangeas are considered fully hardy in the UK, but I'm not sure how cold it gets in Wisconsin.  My guess is long periods of very low temps might be a problem. 

    Still, gardening is all about experimenting and finding out what works in your particular conditions.  🙂
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    It could be worth seeing if anyone near you grows them successfully, and you can maybe get some further advice, but it certainly looks very healthy, and is clearly perfectly happy with your climate   :)

    I think you're just being a bit too enthusiastic with the pruning.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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