Hydrangea macr. red P23, 10+ flwr.

Hydrangea macr. red P23, 10+ flwr.

A classic Hydrangea macrophylla for Irish gardens, this deciduous shrub forms a rounded bush with bold green leaves and showy summer flowerheads. Bloom colour in H. macrophylla varies with soil chemistry: pink to red tones are encouraged on neutral to alkaline soils, while acidic soils tend to produce bluer shades; flowering is typically from mid to late summer into early autumn. Grow in sun or light shade in a moisture-retentive but well-drained, fertile, humus-rich soil, and shelter from cold, drying winds. In spring, remove only old flowerheads to the first strong pair of buds and thin out any weak or dead growth to maintain shape and flower quality.

To help give a clear sense of scale, the stone wall shown in our photos measures approximately 265cm in height. We also use familiar garden tools as visual references: a digging fork (110cm tall) and a hand fork (30cm tall). These are included purely as size guides to help you better judge proportions when viewing the images.

Position: Sun or light shade Rate of Growth: Average Soil: Moist but well-drained, fertile, humus-rich soil Hardiness: Fully hardy (RHS H5) Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Plant at a Glance

light:sun
light:light-shade
facing:south
facing:west
facing:east
soilmoisture:normal
soiltype:moderate-fertile
soiltype:light-sandy
soiltype:heavy-clay
foliage:deciduous
flowering:july
flowering:august
flowering:september
leafcolour:green
size:90cm-2m
gardenstyle:cottage-garden