How tall and wide do hydrangeas grow

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Last Updated on July 18, 2019

Hydrangeas are easily recognizable for the large clusters of brightly colored flowers. There are many different species all of which have the same beautiful foliage and flowers.

How fast do hydrangeas grow

The rate at which hydrangeas grow is contingent upon the type and how well they are cared for. If you care for your hydrangeas as you should, and you don’t prune them unnecessarily they will grow regularly. Most varieties will produce blooms year after year without you having to do anything.

Hydrangea size guide

Most hydrangeas prefer a lot of shade especially in the afternoon but there are some varieties that thrive in sunlight. If you have a small garden that is full of sun almost all day long, the hydrangea paniculata is the best option for you. These flowers provide large clusters that take on a white color and they fade to pink or red before they eventually dry and turn beige.

Type	Growing size
Bigleaf hydrangeas	Maximum average height and width of 10 ft
Oak Leaf hydrangeas	Maximum average height and width of 8 feet
Smooth hydrangeas	Maximum average of 5 ft
Panicle hydrangeas	Average of 12 to 15 ft though some can reach up to 25 ft. The panicles reach up to 18 inches in length.
Climbing Hydrangea	Up to six feet wide and up to 50 feet tall

Each type of hydrangea has slightly different growing conditions and size differentiation between height and width.

Bigleaf hydrangea

The big leaf hydrangea is known for the large leaves and is one of the most commonly cultivated varieties. It grows on average to no more than 10 feet wide and 10 feet tall. This deciduous shrub drops its leaves off when things get cold and then blooms in late spring. These are typically sold in pots which is why many people seen in gardening stores, nurseries, and florists shops.

Oakleaf hydrangea

The Oakleaf hydrangea has beautiful leaves in the shape of oak leaves and it will turn a deep red in the fall. This is the only species of a hydrangea whose foliage changes colors in the fall. Other variety simply lose their leaves. This particular variety is not tolerant of heat and it is slightly smaller than the big leaf with maximum height and width around 8 feet. The flowers are produced in longer clusters called panicles which is different from the rounded globular flowers of the bigleaf hydrangeas. The leaves are typically a creamy white color and they gradually turned pink.

Smooth hydrangea

When you are growing wild hydrangeas be aware of the fact that they prefer acidic soil but not too acidic. The mild point of the spectrum is best. It is also recommended that you make sure the soil is nutrient-rich. You can always add compost to your soil and fertilizer once a year if you would like to keep it happy and healthy.

Smooth hydrangeas are much smaller than the other species and typically reach a height and width around five feet. This is a deciduous plant that has smooth green leaves and rounded white clusters of flowers. It is a very fast grower and it can, in fact, reach 5ft wide and tall in just one season especially if you cut it back.

Panicle hydrangea

These are plants that produce flowers on new growth which is to say produce flowers on the stems from this year. The hydrangeas that fall into this category will form buds at the beginning of summer on new growth and then they will continue to produce flowers every year without much special care. The panicle hydrangea is the first type in this category and it can grow up to eight feet tall. The smooth hydrangea is the second type and this is known for producing tight, symmetrical flowers at the end of summer.

The panicle hydrangea has long panicles of densely-packed flowers that are white in color. This is the biggest shrub species and it can reach upwards of 15 feet in height and 12 ft wide although some species can reach up to 25 ft tall. The panicles themselves are quite large as well and typically reach lengths around 18 in. This is a very tough plant, one which can tolerate colder temperatures and offers blooms at the end of summer. Given the size of the flowers, it can sometimes droop toward the ground because of the weight.

Climbing Hydrangea

The Climbing Hydrangea is a shrub that climbs. It has very large leaves that are shaped like hearts and spiky white flowers. It is the biggest of all the hydrangeas out there and it can climb up to 50 feet and spread as wide a 6 ft. If you leave it on the ground and don’t let it climb it will cover a space of 200 square feet or more. It’s very drought tolerant and will grow very quickly.

Image by FRANCES VALERIA COSTA SILVA from Pixabay

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Hydrangea Guide