The side shoots are doing what they’re supposed to on a climbing hydrangea - and will get broader and broader as it ages. You could cut them back for a flatter look but that’s not the beauty of s climbing hydrangea.

I have to agree. That support post is not wide enough to accommodate the hydrangea properly so you are always going to have shoots sticking out like that. You can trim them back but the best time to do so is in midsummer after they finish blooming (even if they haven't bloomed yet :-) to avoid removing potential flowers for next season.

I was just reading other posts about climbing hydrangeas and people are talking about blooms only appearing on lateral side shoots. Are these the lateral side shoots in my pics above?

"We're going to need a bigger boat."

Yes, those are side shoots sticking out and you could weave some around the pillar and trim others but Luis makes a valid point about the downspout. You have to understand what it is genetically designed to do...

Some of the branches are as thick as my forearm on this monster.

tj

Oh wow, what a gorgeous specimen!!!

My climbing hydrangea comes first ... downspout second. :)

I wouldn't worry about the downspout. I'd train it to cover that great big expanse of wall around the corner!

I do worry somewhat about where this vine will be going from here. This is a vine that can easily grow 30’-40’ and I can see that it might have the potential to damage the roof at some point.

Since I can’t edit my first post, here is my addition:

One that I see on a regular basis is well on its way to covering one side of a three story brick warehouse over perhaps a dozen years. It has broken some lattice that it was given to climb up early on.

I do plan on keeping an eye on it to make sure it doesn't get carried away. I don't want it on the roof. Maybe one day I'll plant another one on that west wall, but then we wouldn't see it that much over there.

as NH B said, couldn't it sneak up under the roof shingles sooner rather than later.?

They really are big plants; mine climbed up to the tip top of a dead ash tree, another is heading to top of the telephone pole, and another has begun to claim a long stone wall and the ground in front of it.

I know you said it's staying, but perhaps you should walk around and see if there *might* be another place, should push come to shove (or moderation loses to domination)

Marie, do these plants of yours bloom? Do you remember how long they took to bloom?

Mine took 7 years to bloom.

That must have been such a happy spring for you NHBabs!! Was it sparse the first year? Do you have pics you can post?

I think I might be able to muster up 2 more years of patience. After that, it's onto the driveway with it (as Ken puts it). :)

Hey it’s not wisteria! Keep pruning and periodically detach from roof ( and use s lattice if you’re letting it climb there). And train it on that wall!

It needs a textured and wide, flat surface on which to attach itself. A trellis is useless and not nearly strong enough to support such a potentially large and heavy climber. And this is an old wood bloomer. If you prune routinely, you will be removing flowers.........

It took so long to bloom I thought something was wrong. It took at least 5 years. As gg said it blooms on old wood, so it takes time for the first blooms and time for the plant to have enough 'old' blooming wood to appear floriferous. (sp)

The wall is perhaps 10 feet tall. The bloom wasn’t this full the first year, but it was reasonable.

So pretty Babs!! 7 years' wait was well worth it. Thanks for sharing.