If it were you, which hydrangea(s) would you pick?

16 years ago

I just cannot believe it. The local nursery that I recently bought the gorgeous 3 gallon Pink Diamond, Kyushu and Little Lamb at $12.99 from, is now putting out quite a few new ones for sale from $9.99 (2 gallon) to $12.99 (3 gallon)!!! They are all very healthy and big! Since many of these are macrophyllas and lacecaps, they are not hardy enough for my area (zone 5). In any case, I really don't have room for them in my flower beds! Anyway, I would love to have maybe a couple in big containers that I can overwinter in the garage.

Based on my criteria of being able to grow in pots and reliable blooming, which one or two of the following would you pick please?

- Enziandom

- Domotoi

- Claudie

- Glory Blue

- Cardinal Red

- Blue Bird

- Tokyo Delight

I just did some research on this forum and found ego's beautiful photos of Tokyo Delight!!! Oh my! What amazing changes of colors! However, would it do OK in a big container though?

I also read great things about Enziandom too. However, I would love to have a lacecap since I already have paniculatas and macrophyllas. What do you think of Blue Bird and Claudie?

If it were you, which ones would you pick?

Thank you for your opinions!

Comments (6)

ego45
16 years ago
That would depend on a place where you are planning to put your container(s).
Enziandom is a show-off hydrangea and deserves a such spot where it always be a conversational piece. In ground it grow rather wider than tall, but in container may behave differently. BTW, it has a lacecap sister-version, Nachtigale (Nightingale).
All Domotoi I ever saw was very pale washed denim blue. Not a my cup of tea, but again, all depend of where you want to place it.
Claudie is a very interesting hydrangea, but beside the bloom time it has nothing interesting to show after.
The same apply to the Blue Bird, though since it is a serrata and seems to be most hardy of all common varieties, you may even could try it in a ground, not a container. I would, especialy for 9.99 :-)
TD has those transitional color change phases as you know that could be worth to offset additional troubles you'll have by growing it in a container. I'd expect it to stay in 3x3' range (4x4' in a ground).
One more thing to consider, color.
In container you could easily keep soil either alcaline or acidic thus have any color you wish to, so chose the cultivar(s) of the appropriate 'natural' color you want to see.
For the best red I'd chose Red Cardinal, for the best blue- Enziandom.
yellowgirl
16 years ago
I think it's Blue Billows that is the really cold hardy one.

I would go for Tokyo Delight (stricktly because of EGO's pics) and probably Enziandom because in a pot you would be able to make it the dark blue that it is famous for (then I could live vicariously through you because I could never find an Enziandom).....yg
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ego45
16 years ago
YG, that's right, Blue Billow is the cold hardy(iest?), not a Blue Bird.
I think the cobalt blue color which is impossibly to achieve in a garden (and you often see with a help of Photoshop) is doable with Enziandom in a pot.
ostrich
Original Author
16 years ago
Thank you, Ego and YG! You have both been, as usual, very helpful!

I went back to the local nursery and bought myself a Claudie and an Enziandom. The Claudies there looked so healthy, lush and full of buds that it was difficult to pass them up! Then the Enziandom - I am hoping to get the deep blue that you were referring to! The only question is, the leaves are very lime green and even with a purple edge. Some of them also have this dusky red/purple mottled appearance on the leaves. Is that normal? Or is there something that I should know about that? I picked another one with perfect clean leaves, but then it had fewer buds than this one, which is covered with buds! Should I go and swap it out?

Anyway, I did not get the Tokyo Delight in the end, because they only had one left, and it was a big 3 gallon one with only 2 buds. I don't think that particular plant would that spectacular in a container this year...

BTW, ego and YG, do you know how long Claudie and Enziandom bloom for please? Do they have a long bloom time?

Thank you so much for your help!
ego45
16 years ago
Claudie is new for me this year as well, so can't comment on longevity of blooms, but since it's a lacecup it most definitely should go thru the usual 'not-so-attractive' period in Aug-Sept. Will it age gracefuly or not we are both bound to find out in a 3-4 months.
As far as Enziandom concerns (I don't have it in my garden) I think it's most attractive (bloom wise) mophead at all stages of its bloom.
Only if it blooms..., of course :-)
ostrich
Original Author
16 years ago
Hi Ego,

Thank you! The Enziandom that I picked has quite a few buds - in fact, some of the florets already started to turn deep blue! It's quite exciting!

However, can you comment on the leaf color issue that I have? I read that the leaves should be dark green - how come the ones that they are selling here are lime green? Also, what is this mottle purple color that I see on some of the lower leaves? What do you think?

Thank you so much for being such a great resource, Ego!