I ordered this exact plant in April, as I wasn't able to find a larger size around me. It's basically a healthily-rooted cutting. GGP purchased the license to propagate this Bailey Nurseries First Editions plant, as they do with most of their other plants. Now is not the greatest time to have purchased it if you want some instant growth, but the one I planted has definitely tripled in size since April. It loves full sun and has not drooped in the heat, as small as the root ball is! I have not seen any buds but it might be too young to bloom. I'm sure it will next year. Paniculatas love to fill out their structure in the spring, and should produce a flower bud on every new stem providing deer don't eat them, etc.

If you look hard enough, nurseries here and there should have a 5-gal for $40 (3' tall) if you want quicker results.

5 gal where? !!! When the spring hit I either went to or called every nursery in a 10/20 mile radius and nobody had a VS they were sold out. I have been trying to buy one ever since and decided to try mail order. The nurseries I went to won't get the plant in till next spring. If I could find a 5 gal I would do a jig in this 105 degree heat!! Lol

While planting anything in this heat is not ideal, I can assure you that my very small VS that I ordered last year from an online nursery started growing by leaps and bounds just as soon as I planted it in the garden last spring. It grew several feet and produced about 6-7 lovely full white blooms. My only disappointment was they didn't turn pink/reddish--hopefully because they were too young last year. This year, its second year in my garden, VS is about 3.5 - 4 ft tall and wide and must have at least a couple dozen blooms--still in the initial white mode. I'm hoping in the next week or so they start turning pink.

Anyway, VS is in full, almost all-day sun and loving it. Its a happy, vigorous, bloomiferous plant.

If you get one now, carefully check its water needs every day--maybe even twice a day if the temps continue for long at above 100. I'd also set a lawn chair on the south side of it to shade it a bit (move the chair a couple times during the day to follow the sun and keep the plant shaded). Once it is fully established, it will easily take the sun, but I would worry that the sun would be too much for a new little transplant.

Let us know how it goes. You will love VS once it settles in.

Kate

If I purchase it now I will keep it potted and on my porch until the temp breaks. It really is too hot to plant now. I know I will love it cause I love my limelights!! I can't wait!!

I used map quest and Trax is 297 miles away from me. :-( I honestly couldn't justify that drive for a hydrangea, lmao, though I did consider it for an hot minute. lol darn!