• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
House of Hawthornes
  • DIY
  • Gardening
  • Budget Decor
  • Thrifting
  • Seasonal
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • DIY
  • Gardening
  • Decorating
  • Thrifting
  • Seasonal
  • 🛒 Our Amazon Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Flower Growing Guides

    How To Grow Limelight Hydrangea

    Published by Pam Kessler | 704 words. · About 4 minutes to read this article. - 43 Comments

    How to grow and care for your Limelight Hydrangea. A beautiful deciduous shrub for your garden which is very forgiving and easy to grow.

    Normally, I would say that my favorite plant is my Black-eyed Susan vine, but lately I've been having an affair with my Limelight hydrangea.

    It's a beautiful plant!

    How to grow and care for your Limelight Hydrangea. A beautiful deciduous shrub for your garden which is very forgiving and easy to grow.

    Officially, they say the blooms are a chartreuse color, but around here they become this very pretty creamy white color with just tinge of lime green poking through.

    How to grow and care for your Limelight Hydrangea. A beautiful deciduous shrub for your garden which is very forgiving and easy to grow.

    They start blooming in late July and if you can bear to leave the yummy blooms on the plants until fall . . . BOOM . . they turn a deep pink color that looks wonderful in fall arrangements.

    Limelight hydrangea in fall - the blooms open as chartreuse in the summer and fade to a beautiful rich pink color in the fall if left on the bush.
    And they dry beautifully!

    Any questions???

    OK, you in the first row. Yes, you with the yoga pants on, eating a pint of Ben & Jerry's.

    Do Limelight hydrangeas need full sun?

    They like part-sun to full-sun. I have two of these and the one that gets more sun during the day gets twice as many blooms.

    Sun vs shade requirements for Limelight hydrangea care

    Now to be fair, when I planted them they were in equal sun vs shade positions, but the tree on the right side of the house grew so much it didn't do that Limelight any favors.

    How do I find these guys?

    Their name is Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight' (common name Panicle hydrangea)- just check with your local nursery to see if they sell them in your area or you can buy them online at Amazon.

    How to grow and care for your Limelight Hydrangea. A beautiful deciduous shrub for your garden which is very forgiving and easy to grow.

     

    How tall do Limelight hydrangeas get?

    6-8 foot tall, so just a little shorter than Bigfoot.

    Lime green color of Limelight hydrangea (bright chartreuse to be exact)

    Will they grow where I live?

    Golly, that all depends where you live. They are hardy in zones - 3a- 9b. If you don't already know your gardening zone, you can go to the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, input your zip code and it will tell you your zone.

    Do Limelight hydrangea bloom on old or new wood?

    Glad you asked. They bloom on new wood, which is another way of saying new growth.

    How to grow and care for your Limelight Hydrangea. A beautiful deciduous shrub for your garden which is very forgiving and easy to grow.

     

    Do you cut back Limelight hydrangeas?

    Since they bloom from new wood, any heavy pruning should be done in winter or very early spring before the new growth emerges. Otherwise you are going to drastically reduce the number of glorious blooms!

    Limelight Hydrangea spacing?

    If you are interested in growing your Limelight hydrangea as a hedge (gorgeous look by the way), you can space them 7-8 feet apart (center of plant to center of plant).

    What to plant with my Limelight hydrangea?

    Some wonderful limelight hydrangeas companion plants are:

    Hostas - hostas will look wonderful planted around your Limelight. The variegated varieties can take a little more sun that your typical shade loving variety and come in some wonderful whites and golds mixed with green.

    Coral Bells (Heuchera) - I have some plum colored coral bells planted near one of my Limelight hydrangeas and the color contrast is just beautiful.

    Ornamental Grasses -  Some of the striped varieties of ornamental grasses really play off the colors of the Limelight. One of my favorite varieties is Golden Japanese Forest Grass (Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola') which has beautiful golden foliage with thin stripes of green running through them. The gold appears almost chartreuse in shadier areas.

    Limelight hydrangea produces cone shaped flowers.

    I have four hydrangea already, do I really needs another hydrangea?

    You betcha! They are footloose and fancy free. I water them if we're having an extended drought, but generally these guys are on their own!

    And you can NEVER have enough hydrangeas in your outdoor lineup. Never. Ever. Ever.

    How to grow and care for your Limelight Hydrangea. A beautiful deciduous shrub for your garden which is very forgiving and easy to grow.

    So to recap,

    How To Grow Limelight Hydrangea:

    • Part-Sun to Full-Sun
    • Grows 6-8 foot tall with a spread of 6-8 foot wide
    • Hardy in zones 3a - 9b
    • Blooms on new wood (new growth)
    • Only prune in winter or very early spring
    • Flowers from mid-July through fall
    • Buy as many as will fit in the back seat of your car

    What plants are you crushing on this year?

    Other Posts You May Enjoy:

    How To Grow Hydrangea In Pots
    How To Dry Hydrangea The Easy Way
    Quick And Easy Hydrangea Wreath

    How to grow and care for your Limelight Hydrangea. A beautiful deciduous shrub for your garden which is very forgiving and easy to grow.



    (This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. You can read my full disclosure policy here.)


    « The Many Uses For Olive Buckets
    The Summer Dilemma »
    18.6K shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. NanaDiana

      August 06, 2013 at 4:52 pm

      LOL- I love my AnnaBelle hydrangea. They are beautiful and are also a creamy white/green. Yours are gorgeous- xo Diana

      Reply
    2. Jayne

      August 06, 2013 at 4:59 pm

      This in my favorite! they bloom during the hottest part of summer and when I look at them they are so refreshing and cooling and of course beautiful!

      Reply
    3. Olive

      August 06, 2013 at 5:22 pm

      Od dear me I do not have this one. That second photo is splendid. I am waiting for my ginger lily to bloom for the first time.

      Reply
    4. Carlene @ Organized Clutter

      August 06, 2013 at 6:39 pm

      I do not have a hydrangea but I am thinking about getting one because of all the hydrangeas I see blogging both live and dried!

      Reply
    5. Anita

      August 06, 2013 at 6:45 pm

      Those are gorgeous and I have been wanting a couple for a while!! I just got the vanilla-strawberry last year and they are doing really well with similar blooms but a pink tint. Thanks for the info! I will definitely look for one for the spring!

      Reply
    6. Newton Custom Interiors

      August 06, 2013 at 7:02 pm

      I love these! Absolutely beautiful, I may have to plant one in our yard!

      Reply
    7. Suesan Kennard

      August 06, 2013 at 7:08 pm

      Gorgeous. I keep trying to get my people to give me hydrangeas, but so far I haven't had any luck. Looks like I will just need to go get some myself.

      Reply
    8. [email protected]

      August 06, 2013 at 7:15 pm

      Always my hydrangeas...I love them to death.

      Reply
    9. Brenda Kula

      August 06, 2013 at 7:34 pm

      I guess I'm crushing on my passion flower vine. My black-eyed susans didn't come up. I can't get hydrangeas to live, much less bloom.
      Brenda

      Reply
    10. Cindy V.

      August 06, 2013 at 7:37 pm

      I couldn't agree more...you can never have too many hydrangeas! Thanks for the information on the limelight!

      Reply
    11. [email protected]

      August 06, 2013 at 9:09 pm

      Im crushing on your limelight hydrangeas. My husband looked over and commented on them. Thanks for the info.

      Reply
    12. Pinky at Designs by Pinky

      August 06, 2013 at 9:14 pm

      They gave us 2 with our "landscape package" and we bought a hydrangea tree this Spring. It is covered in blooms like you said. I can't wait to see if it goes pink in the Fall and then dry some. I had 10 hydrangea bushes in the last house but they were all blue. XO, Pinky

      Reply
    13. [email protected]

      August 07, 2013 at 1:54 am

      Your hydrangea is simply beautiful. I don't have that one but I will be on the lookout for it. Your photo's are great. Thanks for sharing.
      Stop by my blog and see mine.
      Mary

      Reply
    14. Anonymous

      August 07, 2013 at 6:47 am

      I have 2 Limelight hydrangeas and love them. They are covered with blooms and so easy to grow. I have about 7 different varieties of hydrangeas but this is by far the easiest. I like that it grows in sun. I cut some blooms off this week and they didn't dry well at all and only lastest a few days. Maybe when they start turning pinkish they will dry better. Lynne in Georgia

      Reply
    15. ℳartina @ Northern Nesting

      August 07, 2013 at 9:12 am

      What a beautiful hydrangea...your garden looks so pretty!

      Reply
    16. Musings from Kim K.

      August 07, 2013 at 9:57 am

      I'm totally smitten with your thermos vase for your beautiful hydrangea blooms. That whole vignette is magazine worthy.

      Reply
    17. Melinda

      August 07, 2013 at 1:15 pm

      What if anything have you done to yoursoil? Ours is very acidic.
      Nothing much grows in our soil.

      :o)

      Reply
    18. Pam

      August 07, 2013 at 2:07 pm

      @Melinda - Our soil is very clay-ish. The people who lived here before we did were mulch lovers and I think that after years and years of mulch being applied and decomposing it really has improved the soil.

      Reply
    19. Sweet Peas

      August 07, 2013 at 2:35 pm

      Pam your hydrangeas are so pretty but what I am loving is the vintage picnic basket stack!! I only have one so after seeing this picture I am going to hunt for more!

      Nicole

      Reply
    20. ThrifterSisters

      August 07, 2013 at 4:58 pm

      Hydrangeas are my absolute favorite flower. My Grandma Gloria had a gorgeous blue/purple Hydrangea bush on the side of her house and every time I see them, I think of her. Yours are gorgeous! Thanks for the tips:-)

      ~Erica

      Reply
    Newer Comments »

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Learn how to create a budget friendly home you'll love using repurposed thrift store finds, easy DIY & craft projects and seasonal gardening tips.

    Trending Content:

    • DIY Industrial Pipe Shelves
    • How To Grow Peonies - A Complete Guide
    • How To Paint A Front Door Without Removing It
    • Homemade Squirrel Repellent Recipe
    • DIY Earring Holder
    • How to Make A Penny Bowling Ball
    • Top 10 Thrift Store Shopping Tips
    • Blueberry Crostata Recipe
    • How To Make Winter Porch Pots
    • How To Grow Hydrangea In Pots

    About Me

    Pam Kessler | Author of House Of Hawthornes

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Web Stories
    • Blog

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up For Emails & Updates

    Shop

    • Amazon Favorites
    • Shop The Look

    Please use appropriate safety precautions when attempting projects. All projects are attempted at the reader's own risk.

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 House Of Hawthornes, LLC

    🍪 We use cookies to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
    Do not sell my personal information.
    I Accept Read Privacy Notice
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled

    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

    Non Necessary

    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.