They have a big range of zones were they can grow but you are beginning to push the envelope. Normally they can grow from zones 3-4 thru 8 or 9. In full sun in cold zones or in morning sun/afternoon shade in warmer zones. Have you seen any paniculatas for sale in your area? It may help you decide. And you can always experiment with just one.

They can be grown in our 100+ degree summer weather but not in full sun. The sun down here is too strong in the summer so they have to have afternoon shade.

Long term wise, the amount of available cool/cold weather in your area may be the catch/problem. It could make them last for a short time only but, like I said, you can always try with just one.

If their root system is kept as evenly moist as possible, they can be transplanted here or there. Just let them recouperate for a growing season and move as much of the root ball & root system as you can.

This post was edited by luis_pr on Sat, Sep 21, 13 at 15:16

Thank you luis_pr for you helpful response. Taking your advice, I called up Rogers Garden in Corona Del Mar and I found out that they did carry them but do not have any available at the moment and may not get any in for a while.

I think I'm going to go ahead and give them a try in the Back of the house area where there is all day, open, bright shade. I think it will have the best chance of thriving in this area.

Because they're not available in any of the stores around me, I looked online and found them from an online company called Park Seed. They come in a 1 quart size. Has anyone ordered from Park Seed before? I've NEVER ordered plants online before, and so I'm a little hesitant... But the reasonable price and the fact that it's available is making me seriously consider giving buying online a try though.

I would like to try and have them in the ground in the fall while the weather is nice and cool for planting and give them time to establish and grow for next summer.

Does anyone know how long it would take for a 1 quart limelight to reach maturity??? I don't want to over plant, seeing that they can grow up to 6-8 ft tall and 6-8ft wide. But being that it's just a 1 quart size plant, will the area just look have to look a bit sad for a while because it has just a few little 1 quart Limelights surrounded by dirt??? I know someone out there has a great solution to this. Does anyone have suggestions as to what companion plants to plant around the 1quart Limelight while it's small and growing, so that area surrounding the Limelights don't look so bare and sad?

There is a Park Seed in SC that has a lot of negative comments. GW removes posts with links to competitors so send me an email and I will send you the info.

In the southern half of the country, it is very difficult to find hydrangeas at this time of the year. Ditto for good inventories in mail order companies. Inventories are restocked by Spring but request delivery when the weather will be fine along the transporation route of a mail order company and your home. Traveling thru Texas now without air conditioner in a truck, for example, is bad for plants. Two local nurseries that I know carry paniculatas and I will often shop there to see what's new. The others carry macrophyllas only or oakleafs/macrophyllas. So look around even in small nurseries, which is where I have found the paniculatas.

Maturity is a commercial term that basically estimates the size (HxW) after 10 years. I would not worry much about achieving certain size because by year 3, I notice most to be growing like gangbusters and getting quite large. Your growing season will also make them exceed those size estimates. On some years here, hydrangeas leaf out in Feb or early March and go dormant in Nov-Dec so with all that time devoted to growing, many shrubs here exceed the high end of those estimates.

There many suggestions for companion plants; do a search in the forum looking for the phrase 'companion plant' or similar phrase-ology. Sometimes I have used more hydrangeas (Limelight and Quick Fire look nice near each other for example); other times I have gone with azaleas, hostas, heuchera, holly bushes, daffodils and camellias.

If you are in Orange County, yes, you can grow Limelight.....and any other form of paniculata. I might consider siting where the plants would receive some afternoon shade but even in rather warm climates, they will tolerate a lot of sun. Water is the key element - provide adequate water and you grow them darn near anywhere :-(

And don't limit your search to just the nurseries in your area (did you try Plant Depot in San Juan Capistrano?) - the box stores like Home Depot and Lowes often have these hydrangeas in abundance.

Luis_pr and gardengal48... Thank you for your wealth of information. Yes, I am in Orange county. I'm thrilled to hear that Limelights will thrive in my area. I don't know why, but I've never ever seen the Limelights at the big box stores out here... only the pink and blue macrophyllas, and once I even saw the white macrophyllas at Costco... the 'Endless Summer' Hydrangeas seem to be especially popular out here at the big box stores... But I hesitate to plant them in the ground because I have akaline, clay soil, and akaline water, and so I've done enough research to know that it can be very difficult to control the color with those conditions... I'll probably always end up with some form of pink hydrangea growing in my garden with such akaline conditions.

I will call around and check the smaller nurseries around here like you suggested and give Plant Depot and Home Depot a call today. I tried the Lowes around here, but they all said that their growers underestimated the demand for Hydrangeas this year and they are all out and won't be able to get any more in for a while... :-(

Thank you again for all your helpful responses... :-)

Just a follow up: So I called The Plant Depot yesterday and they were super helpful. Although they didn't have any Limelights in stock, they were able contact their grower, Monrovia, and order me some. (None of the other places I checked out were going to be able to get more until April or May).

They had 1 gallons available for $15.99 and 5 gallons available for $34.99 .... What size do you suggest I purchase? I am leaning towards the 1 gallons for the affordability factor, and the hope that they will establish relatively quickly and happily growing nice and big for me in no time... but having not ever grown them before I'm not sure if that' s a smart choice. What do you think???

It's mainly a matter of gratification - instant if you go for the 5G plants; delayed if you opt for the 1 gallons. They will get there eventually and likely faster than you expect.

Don't you love Plant Depot? My sister lived for years in Dana Point and we visited often......plant geeks always have to check out any nurseries when they visit out of town :-))

gardengal48... So Friday Was my very first visit to the Plant Depot... Let me just say... I am IN LOVE!!! They had ordered both the "super" 1 gallons and 5 gallons waiting for me. To my surprise the "super" 1 gallon size looked much bigger than I had imagined they would. I walked out of there with 4 "super" 1 gallon Limelights and 2 bags of Acid Soil Ammendment. I really had to use a serious amount of self control and restraint to keep myself from buying more. I think I may have a plant addiction... HELP!!!... ;-)

I can't wait to get these hydrangeas in the ground and growing for me. Based on the information on the tag, it says that they're the hardiest of all the Hydrangeas... needing less water and being able to take more sun, than many of the other Hydrangea varieties out there, once they're established. So I'm hopeful that I will have much more success with these Hydrangeas than the other ones I've planted in the past.

I CAN'T wait to go back to The Plant Depot and do some more garden dreaming... such a cool place. Thanks again for leading me towards The Plant Depot. I would not have known to check them out if it had not been for you... :-)

I'll have to snap some photos sometime and share. Thanks again for all your help!

After 6 years , how is the limelight Hydrangeas in Orange county? I am in Orange county and thinking of planting it.

I too would like to know how the limelight is doing and how much sun it can tolerate. I’m in Laguna Beach and love Plant Depot too!

I'm wondering too, just came across this post. I have two limelights and I'm considering putting now in the from but does get full afternoon sun.

I would like to know too

Hi. I came across this post precisely on the day I planted my limelight panicle hydrangea. It is currently the 8th of July. My plant will be getting sun from about 6am till 4pm. I will be more than happy to report back for all of you. I am also in the OC, in Anaheim. The nursery where I purchased the plant told me it would thrive in the sun given it's a drought tolerant hydrangea. He did advice I dig a hole and fill with acid soil then plant with more acid soil on top. He told me to fertilize with 20-20-20 but I told him I had 10-10-10 at home and said that would be good enough. I paid $52 for the hydrangea so I will have to wait and see how well it does!

@HU-52971373, I'm sorry to say your nurseryperson did not give you very good advice. I think they were too eager to make a sale 😁 While paniculatas are some of the most heat and sun tolerant of the hydrangeas, full day sun in Anaheim is asking a lot. Some afternoon shade is advised. And they are not the slightest bit drought tolerant! Hydrangea means 'water vessel' in Greek and they require at least an inch of water per week.....more in a hot and very sunny climate, sometimes even daily.

Also, it is never recommended to amend a planting hole - existing soil only and an necessary amendments applied as a topdressing or mulch. No fertilizer is necessary this year and very little is required going forward. Mulching with compost will suffice..

HU-52971373 Here in Texas, where temperatures stay 100-115°F from July thru September, paniculatas require mulching, deep waterings to keep the top inches moist and they will tend to show their feet as heat stresses them starting in mid May. Since we get evening summer sun from 5pm until 8:30pm and temperatures are at the highest then, paniculatas will get much needed respite if given evening shade from the still above 100°F sun. But they should still do better in Anaheim than in Texas in your Mediterranean-like, little rainy summers IF you provide supplemental water when the soil is dry in the summer. I also do not find paniculatas necessarily drought tolerant. They probably wilt less than Big Leaf; oakleaf hydrangeas are maybe more drought tolerant than other hydrangeas (as far as any hydrangea can be drought tolerant... hee, hee, hee!). Enjoy your new shrub and post again if you have any problems occur as this is a hard time to plant a hydrangea.