Nikko Blue Hydrangea - Hydrangea macrophylla 'Nikko Blue'

A vigorous growing shrub with large rounded deep blue flowers (in acidic soil) blooming all summer on current season's growth. Grow in acidic soils for best blue color. Flower heads can be pink if the soil Ph is on the alkaline side. BEFORE PLANTING : Keep in mind how big the shrub will be at maturity. Space your shrub away from your home a little over 1/2 the spread length. For instance: if your mature spread is 6' then plant it (at least) 4' from the base of your home. *Deer Resistant* PRUNING HYDRANGEA MACROPHYLLA : Bigleaf hydrangeas set their flower buds at the ends of the upright or lateral branches, during late summer to early fall. Pruning Bigleaf hydrangea in the spring or even late fall, after the buds have been set, will remove the flower buds and any chance of getting flowers that season. Bigleaf hydrangea should be pruned as soon as the flowers have faded. You should begin to see new growth coming in from the base of the plant, about this time. To keep the plant vigorous, selectively prune out the dead and weaker stems, both old and new. Don’t prune out all the old wood, since this is what will keep flowering as the new growth matures. Bigleaf hydrangeas are the variety most susceptible to winter bud injury. Photo courtesy of Toms Creek Nursery in Denton, NC Ornamental Characteristics Category Flowering Shrub Environmental Characteristics