Of course Marie, I agree. I've left it because I was just trying to give the shrub the last two seasons to do it's own thing, so I pruned it in the spring just to take off the dead flowers and that was it. It didn't start out that tall, it just gradually kept getting taller and taller. And I was curious if it would bloom on the top of the stem. So I was planning to cut it back, I just wondered if leaving it would help with identification. I also wondered if the entire shrub has the potential to get as tall as that tallest stem.

Now that I have a photo of it, I can cut it. I have a space behind it in front of the Taxus that I wanted to put Hydrangea paniculata, but since I don't know the variety of paniculata this is, I'm not sure what size to expect and whether to use it there and move it in the Fall. I guess it is not distinct enough to figure out. I have some Little Lime out front but I thought I might use a taller paniculata here.

If it's that big after two years from a little stick I would think it's going to be one of the larger growing ones. What color do the flowers age? Or come back and post a picture in a month or so. That might help narrow it down.

Thanks, I might have gotten a flower or two last year, I don't remember, this is the first year I've had that many. And it really took off this year. So sure, I can take a photo of the color after it ages. Good idea.

The same thing happens to me with some roses.

You mean you never figured out what it was?

It is definitely a paniculata, but there are so many varieties. It might be a Firelight. I thought maybe a Vanilla Strawberry, but the flowers would be bigger. You could email a photo to your local university extension or garden club for more specific info. However, it will likely grow to 8 x 8 feet so if it won't fit in that space, the time to move it is when it goes dormant in the fall and before it gets any bigger.

Chrysalids - Thank you, I was guessing with not a lot of responses, that it was just a shot in the dark to try to figure out the specific variety. I'm just trying to figure out if it is a full size paniculata or a dwarf that would stay about 4ft high maximum. I'd rather have an 8ft tall shrub there, but 8ft wide is a little tight, that maybe I could prune it to fit better. Or I can plant it so some of it comes out over the lawn I think. I just didn't want to expand that bed any more. I noticed today some of the flowers look a little bigger.

sending a photo to an authority is a great idea and I'm sure I will do that. I do want to wait to see what the mature blooms change color to and see if that helps with ID too. Considering it was just about a single stick when I bought it at a local garden plant sale, I'm surprised it has grown this much so quickly. Seems like a worthwhile purchase for a pretty low price. I have often bought shrubs in small sizes and I'm always surprised that they grow sometimes faster than those that have spent a few seasons in a nursery in a pot.

I hear you. For paniculatas, I find that pictures of the same bloom from "start" to "finish" are sometimes necessary to guess a variety name but since there are sooo many paniculatas, it may still be difficult. Bloom form (lacy versus not, etc.) may help a little but bloom size does not help much as you may be looking at a static picture of a small bloom that is going to get bigger and-or the same cultivar can produce unexpectedly different bloom sizes. Luckily, care is usually similar enough so the variety name is usually not needed unless you are trying to get another plant.

It’s hard to tell with pictures but could you cut all the short stuff away and turn it into a standard?

I could actually, but I don't trust my ability to keep a standard looking good. I bought a 'Pink Diamond' paniculata as a standard and I tried keeping it pruned correctly and it just became such a mess,I cut it down to the ground last year. This spring it came back from the ground and is about 3ft tall but didn't bloom this season. Probably next. But I think I'm going to stick with non standard. I think it is a great idea for someone more talented with pruning though! I'm going to cut away the tall stem this week and in the spring I am going to give it more of a prune that is more symetrical because some of the lower branches are going at odd angles. I need to move it. Is spring or fall the best time to move a hydrangea?

Anytime when it is dormant is the best time.

@prairiemoon2 z6b MA, there are only two dwarf paniculata hydrangeas that stay under 5ft, Bobos and the new Firelight Tidbit. You definitely don't have a Bobo there. It also doesn't look like a Little Lime or Little Quickfire which stay around 5 ft. Now looking closer, I think that it could also be a Limelight. You are right that the mature blooms might give you a clue about the variety. If the blooms turn green, then it is definitely a limelight.

If it is a 8ft hydrangea, trying to prune it to keep it smaller is a fruitless endeavor. The larger hydrangeas simply won't be tamed in the long run so move it to a spot where it can thrive while it is manageable.

Also, fall is always the best time to move hydrangeas, any plant for that matter. When till the blooms have dried up and the leaves have fallen. Good luck!

chrysalids - Okay, so, I guess I was thinking this might be a dwarf with just a random branch shooting taller, but if it could possibly be a large paniculata, what would be the best way to prune it? I would still remove that tall stem and prune the rest at the bottom all the same length to give it a good starting place, right?

Actually, I might take another photo of the shrub looking down at it, because I was just looking at it and the way the branches are coming off the main stems does not look right, and I don't know how far back to cut it.

The blooms are getting larger and are very pretty up close, have a nice shape to them. Some of the stems are floppy but a lot of them look pretty erect. I'm thinking I might be happy with it right in this area. I am just going to move it over a little to center it in the bare spot here......

This is an early photo to the right of the above photo. and the Hydrangea paniculata is in the lower left. I'm just going to move that over to the right and back to center it and let it do it's thing. I think this photo makes it look smaller than it is.

Maybe this one gives a better perspective.....

@prairiemoon2 z6b MA, you can carefully cut off the tall outlier stem now, but do not prune the rest of the hydrangea until spring after the last freeze. If you prune now, you will shock the plant and lose next year's blooms. If you search YouTube, you will find tons of videos about how to prune panicle hydrangeas by cutting above the buds and removing the branches that cross and touch. Here is one by Laura sponsored by Proven Winners: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJLJ-Q0o9KU&ab_channel=ProvenWinners

About moving the hydrangea, the new space looks good. Remember to measure four feet on either side from the center of the hydrangea when deciding where to plant it. You might want to leave some space to plant a boxwood or perennials or annuals in the front of the hydrangea to hide any legginess that might occur.

I should have said I planned to prune in spring. Exactly. Thanks for all the tips.

@prairiemoon2 z6b MA, I was at a nursery this weekend and discovered there are far more varieties of paniculatas than I thought. However, given the size of yours after two years, I still don't think that it is a dwarf variety.

"but do not prune the rest of the hydrangea until spring after the last freeze. If you prune now, you will shock the plant and lose next year's blooms."

Hydrangea paniculata can be pruned just about any time you like. They bloom on new wood produced the current growing season so pruning now (at least the long, arching stem) will not "shock" the plant at all and will not deter flowering next season. Otherwise you can prune in late fall, any time through winter and in early spring before active new growth commences. Once that happens, pruning will risk removal of the flowering potential but the shrub can be pruned later while in flower (like now) if you want with no permanent or even next season consequences.

I also find YouTube to be a very unreliable source for gardening advice, especially pruning. YMMV

My problem with some of those youtube paniculata pruning videos is they make it so tedious looking. I have many large paniculatas and will not prune them branch by branch. That would take forever. i just get out the shears (elecrtric or manual) and go to town. I leave the flowers on for the winter so for me here in MN usually late March is when I go out there and cut them off.