Tuff Stuff mountain hydrangea

Sun

Partial shade, ideally morning sun and afternoon shade; tolerates more sun in cool climates if the soil stays moist.

Water

Keep evenly moist but not waterlogged; water deeply during dry spells and check containers frequently in warm weather.

Soil

Humus-rich, moist, well-drained soil. Acidic soil with available aluminium encourages blue or purple flowers; less acidic soil generally produces pink flowers. Strongly alkaline soil can cause yellow leaves.

Height

2-3 ft (0.6-0.9 m)

Spread

2-3 ft (0.6-0.9 m)

Flowers

Early summer into autumn, often in repeat flushes; lacecap heads with double pink, purple or blue outer florets surrounding small fertile flowers.

Foliage

Deciduous, dark green, pointed leaves with toothed edges; autumn colour may include red or burgundy tones.

Growth

Moderate

Care needed

Medium

• Pollinators
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1.6 ft (0.5 m)

2. After 1 year

   1.8 ft (0.55 m)

3. After 2 years

   2 ft (0.6 m)

4. After 3 years

   2.1 ft (0.65 m)

5. After 5 years

   2.5 ft (0.75 m)

   full size

About 5 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Toxic

Growth rate

Moderate

• Water at soil level whenever the root zone begins to dry; do not let newly planted shrubs dry out.
• Apply 2-3 in (5-8 cm) of leaf mould or composted bark each spring, keeping it clear of the stems.
• Feed lightly in spring with a balanced shrub fertiliser; avoid heavy nitrogen feeding.
• Provide afternoon shade in hot regions and shelter from drying winds.
• Use a large pot with drainage holes for container growing, and protect the root ball from severe winter freezing.

Pruning. In spring, once buds begin to swell, remove dead wood and cut old flower heads back to the first healthy pair of buds. Avoid routine hard pruning: although it flowers on new growth, retaining healthy older stems preserves the earlier display.

Spring

As buds swell, remove winter-killed stems and trim old flower heads above healthy buds.

Spring

Apply mulch and a light feed; plant when the soil is workable and not waterlogged.

Late spring

Protect emerging shoots with horticultural fleece if frost is forecast.

Summer

Water deeply during dry weather and check pots frequently; remove spent flowers if desired without cutting far down the stems.

Autumn

Keep watering during dry spells until leaf fall; leave healthy stems intact.

Winter

Insulate exposed containers and keep their drainage holes clear.

• Plant at the front of a lightly shaded shrub border for summer colour without hiding plants behind it.
• Group several beneath high-canopied trees where there is adequate moisture and little root competition.
• Grow in a large patio container beside ferns or shade-tolerant perennials.
• Combine with hostas, astilbes and Japanese forest grass for contrasting leaf shapes and soft flower colour.

Garden styles it suits: Woodland, Cottage garden, Japanese, Modern courtyard, Small-space and Pastel border.

Plant it with: Hostas, Astilbes, Japanese forest grass, Japanese painted fern, Coral bells and Foamflower.

Wildlife: The small fertile flowers can provide food for visiting insects, though the large decorative florets are sterile. It is not a native wildlife shrub in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada or Australia.

• Wilting and scorched leaf edges: check soil moisture, water deeply when needed and provide afternoon shade; do not assume wilt in wet soil needs more water.
• Few flowers after winter: frost may have killed old flower buds, or pruning removed them; retain healthy stems and protect young growth from late frost.
• Yellow leaves with green veins: alkaline soil can restrict iron uptake; test the soil and use an appropriate chelated iron treatment or grow in suitable container compost.
• Leaf spots or powdery mildew: improve air circulation, water at soil level and remove fallen infected leaves.

Toxic if eaten by cats, dogs, horses or people. All parts contain cyanogenic glycosides, especially the leaves and flower buds; ingestion usually causes digestive upset, but substantial amounts can cause serious poisoning. Seek veterinary or medical advice after ingestion.

• Bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla)

  Usually has larger, broader, thicker leaves and often a larger habit. Lacecap forms can be very similar, so a cultivar label is more reliable than flower shape alone.

• Tiny Tuff Stuff mountain hydrangea (Hydrangea serrata 'MAKD02')

  A separate, smaller cultivar, usually about 1.5-2 ft (0.45-0.6 m) tall and wide; check the cultivar name on the label.

Hydrangea comes from Greek words meaning water vessel, referring to the seed capsules, while serrata describes the saw-toothed leaf margins.

Propagation. Softwood cuttings taken in late spring or early summer preserve the cultivar; seedlings will not come true. Check applicable plant breeders' rights or patent restrictions before propagating.

Accepted botanical name

Hydrangea serrata

Native range

Japan and Korea.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0) and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.