Here in Toronto (5b) I have both PW and VS and this is their third full year in the ground right next to each other. They get full sun (about 6-7 hrs and a mix of morning and later afternoon) and both suffered in the July/August heatwaves of last year. Neither has been very impressive bloomers for me yet, but this year they are both getting some decent blooms forming right now. PW is still only about 3.5 feet tall but seems more compact and bushier. VS is about 4 feet tall now but that is because of longer, single stems that look more prone to flopping over. I have left it mostly unpruned to give the stems a chance to grow and thicken, but after this year I may prune them back to try to get a more compact shape again. So far it looks like PW is the better of the two, which is too bad because the advertised blooms on VS look so much nicer. Foliage is about the same but PW looks better overall because of it's more compact, rounded form.

Thank you, luis, for the advice. Yes, I probably should have planted Strawberry Sundae instead, but I didn't and I just don't have the heart to spade a perfectly healthy bush--plus digging up the roots sounds like quite the challenge! Besides, I confess, I rather like my "monster"--she is a big beauty, indeed! I will mull over the options you gave me. I'm thinking the general haircut might be workable. Like Hyed said, she can get floppy with those big blooms. But the 3 year idea might be workable also. But if something doesn't work soon, I may just decide I want a Vanilla Strawberry "tree" -- like hyed's. It's always good to have options in reserve, isn't it. : ) Thanks for the prompt responses. Anyone have pics of how your Vanilla Strawberry is coming along? Kate

Luis and Babs, the mystery of the yellowing leaves in my Bobos and VS has not been solved! Limelight tree is fully green and happy now. The white spots have been eliminated from Bobos and VS with neem. Do you think they might be yellowing and dropping leaves from heat stress or transplant shock? I think you’re on to something Luis... Babs, I know we are both in NH in zone 5, but we’ve had heat close to or in the 90s for what feels like weeks straight. It’s been very hot here. Temps can vary based on where you are in NH (coast vs mountains vs lakes region), as you know! these guys are south facing all day long in that hot sun. I had to amend soil, as the soil here is rocky, compacted, and poor. I did amend a large area for the Limelight, and the whole bed for the Bobo and VS hydrangeas. The Bobos in particular are still yellowing and dropping quite a bit of foliage (interior leaves only). It seems like another leaf above the last yellows each day. Is this considered to be an expected part of their behavior? The VS are beginning to yellow from the bottom up too. I’ve been checking the root balls and only watering as needed in our hot hot heat. It’s been so humid and hot here all week. I’m worried I’m going to lose them if the yellowing creeps all the way up and they drop all foliage ☹️ they’re all blooming, so it’s hard to know if they’re happy when they seem like they’re in poor health underneath but happy on top! I’ve had diatomaceous earth around each hydrangea all week to deter Japanese beetles (which I’ve been waging war against!), neem for spider mites - it doesn’t seem like pests are the problem. I also don’t think I’ve mulched close enough to the stems... I wasn’t sure if I should cover the tops of the root balls when I put mulch down a few weeks ago. Photo from today of Bobos and VS.

Although I have never grown them side by side, I find them to be almost identical in appearance other than size. In fact, Strawberry Sundae is often described as a compact version of VS. IME, both are heavy blooming, robust plants, so I'd just pick by which size works best for you.