belvedere04 · CC BY 4.0
Bigleaf Hydrangea
Shrub·Hydrangea macrophylla
Part sun
Sun
Medium
Water
Moist soil
Drainage
Zones 5–9
Hardiness
Bigleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) is a shrub. It grows best in sun to part shade and has moderate water needs.
Through the year
DormantLeafing outFlowering
Works well with
from wiki dataNo companions recorded.
WHAT IT NEEDS
Wants part sun
Needs moderate water
Tolerates moist soil, as long as it drains well
Prefers soil pH 5–7
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Prefers loam, sandy loam soil
Struggles in compacted soil
Draws up potassium, aluminum from deep in the soil
Adds a moderate amount of organic matter to the soil
Partners with mycorrhizal fungi to boost nutrient uptake
WHAT IT GIVES
Gives shade (medium)
Gives mulch biomass (medium)
Provides potassium
Provides aluminum
Attracts pollinators
HOW IT GROWS
SIZE & SPACING
Shrub layer
Height90–180 cm
Spacing120 cm (min 90 cm)
Root depthMedium
Width90–180 cm
Width figures are rough estimates, the most variable measurement in our data.
AI estimate · accuracy improves as growers contribute corrections.
HOW TO PROPAGATE
Propagate by cuttings, division, seed
Difficulty
Establishes in about 1 yr
Doesn't self-seed on its own
Where this comes from
Parsed11 Sept 2026
ConfidenceNot recorded
Photograph belvedere04 · CC BY 4.0