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Who is growing Hydrangeas in the Austin area?

Tim Wood
9 years ago

I'd love to know what Hydrangeas can be grown successfully in the Austin, Texas area. If you are from the Austin area tell me which species and cultivars do well for you. Thanks.

Comments (14)

  • sienna_98
    9 years ago

    To my knowledge, the only hydrangea grown locally is the Oakleaf Hydrangea.

  • Scott Z8 CenTex
    9 years ago

    I'm trying both oakleaf hydrangea and hydrangea macrophylla for the first time at our home just north of Austin in Round Rock. They are planted on the NW side of our house with shade most of the day until late afternoon, at which time they get dappled shade or sun for a while.

    They were only planted last fall so this is their first full summer. I would say they are struggling a little due to the heat, but are still growing. They were in bloom this spring. I expect them to look better next year.

  • Scott Z8 CenTex
    9 years ago

    Here is the macrophylla

  • Scott Z8 CenTex
    9 years ago

    This one gets the most direct afternoon sun (notice some of the brown leaf tips)...I try to make sure it gets a little more water than the others...

  • Tim Wood
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Is anybody growing Hydrangea paniculata in South Texas?

  • bjb817
    9 years ago

    I tried a few macrophylla once when I didn't know any better. Fried in full sun so I moved them to a shadier location. They struggled to hang on for the year and then finally gave up the fight in year #2.

    Anyone in this area that can get them through more than a couple of seasons has a much greener thumb than me!

  • afirefly
    9 years ago

    I have seen some hydrangeas growing at the Arboretum at the back by the path leading down to the pond. I am just relying on memory but I think they were oak leaf hydrangeas. They must get a ton of supplemental watering and seem to be in a very shady area. I wonder if they amended the soil to be more acidic too. Hydrangeas tend to develop chlorosis (yellow leaves and stunted growth) if left in our native soil so putting them in a planter like queenjillybean does where you can control the pH sounds like a good idea.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Lady Bird Wildflower Center's info on the oak leaf hydrangea

  • wantonamara Z8 CenTex
    9 years ago

    I had Oakleaf Hydrangia planted in a clay based humus down town on the East side of the house. It got early morning sun and then shade with a tiny slice of sun around noon. It did great after the first two years. It then took off and bloomed beautifully. The soil was good for hill country soil. I think we were close enough to the river and edge of the escarpment . The soil was not the shallow rock caliche of further west. It had been worked for 100 years so it was good stuff.

  • austinwildflower
    9 years ago

    Oh my, it has been a few years since I visited and posted on this forum but I wanted to get inspired for my fall plantings so I'm here ;).

    Anyhoos, I just wanted to chime in. People walking past our home often ask me about the oakleaf hydrangeas and I'm always wondering why no one grows them or sells them around Austin because they are quite lovely.

    I live near UT, and have successfully grown a "hedge" of this hydrangea around the front my house. Near my foundation, in that really nutrient-poor orange soil that builders use. They don't get special treatment and I often forget to mulch or put compost down in the spring, and these plants have taken off despite this. By their 3rd year they really filled out.

    Since I'm in an old growth neighborhood with a ton of pecans I don't get full sun anywhere and these are in shade all afternoon. They seem to like that. But in our worst summer I only gave them a soaker hose drink about once a week. They don't need a lot of watering.

    I hope that helps!

  • austinwildflower
    9 years ago

    p.s. I check my soil around the house in these beds and it is frequently over 8 pH so I don't think the oakleafs need acidic soil. The leaves on mine are always very green.

  • ClassicStyle (CntlTx; z8b)
    7 years ago

    I'm so glad I found this thread! I live in Round Rock, not too far from Round Rock Gardens. Yesterday, I purchased three Endless Summer -Bloomstruck Hydrangeas. We are planting these on the E/NE side of our house which is in bright shade practically all day long with a bit of morning sun. It is also part of our auto sprinkling system area. I'm checking the soil type now to see if it is clay or silt. It certainly isn't sandyloam. A nursery worker told us to work in a lot of peat moss in the soil and adjust my ph to get blue/purple flowers. It's reading at 6.6 on litmus. I read the tips on the Endless Summer site but it's not area specific. Any tips I can get from local growers would be appreciated. What mixture peat moss to dirt should we mix and how deep should this mixture go? The site said to use gypsum if the soil was Clay. Should that be used instead of the peat moss? Would appreciate your knowledgeable input.

  • buttoni_8b
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    I'm trying macrophylla in my back garden, which is mostly shady. They burned off in the heat after a nice round of first season blooming last year. They are coming back off their roots quite healthy-looking, green and full of leaves (and here I thought they had died in the freeze). We'll see how they bloom this year for me. I got pink blooms last year, since I did nothing to supplement the soil. Too many vertebral back


    issues last season to get out and garden much. But feeling better this year and I will try some supplements to get bluer blooms this year.

    I had real good luck with macrophylla down in Texas City in a shady "L" at the north side of my house. I got them pretty blue, too and was able to dry a bunch of blooms. Having retired to Temple, we'll have to see how they do for me. With our black, Houston Clay soil, I'm sure I'll be getting some Aluminum sulfate or Iron Sulphate to boost them a bunch. I planted some rusty nails in the holes with them, a suggestion of my Dad's years ago. :) Here is how they are doing today:


  • kimivu
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    Anyone growing Annabelle hydrangea? I have limelight to trade. I live in Round Rock also.