Here is what she looked like in August of 2022 before the storms blew through:

" What's the difference between a hydrangea and a hydrangea tree?Hydrangea trees do not naturally grow into the shape of a tree. Left to their own devices, all hydrangeas will grow into shrubs with multiple stems. The only type hydrangea that can be made into a tree is Hydrangea paniculata. "

I think she deserves a chance to recover after all she's been through. Have some patience, wait and see how she does this summer and then make a decision. If she doesn't as well as want her to, move her to a less windy location and get a new one. It sounds like that may not be a good location for a tree-type hydrangea.

Sherry -- I know that; I don't understand the point of your post, it doesn't address my dilemma in any way.

Sorry, my point was to cut to ground level and retrain to tree form. The other option would be to cut to a straight tall stump , no branches, and let sprout. Neither will look the same this year. The tall straight stump will look closer, sooner.

If you want it to look exactly the same this summer, you will have to buy a new one already shaped.

Oh gosh, no -- I'm not going to cut it to the ground and re-train. Like I said -- this is prime viewing real estate, the joy I get from looking out the window every day when it's in full bloom makes it worth the $$ I'd have to cough up for a new one.

Then I would dig up the current one, root prune and pot it up. Give yourself something to play with and replace with a new one.

ETA: Find the new one first, lol.

Let me preface this with saying I have very little experience with hydrangeas, (or with pruning for that matter lol) and none whatsoever with a hydrangea trained into tree form. However, I would have to agree with Sherry - if you are willing to pay for a new one, if this is prime real estate and prime viewing area, I would get the new one - if it gives you joy and is worth it to you, go for it. But I would also keep the old one and give it a chance to rebound, and maybe put it elsewhere where it can recover at its pace.

:)

Dee

Given how severely it's been pruned, it wouldn't surprise me at all if it tries to regrow from the base. So in time, you'll end up with a nice hydrangea, but not a tree form one. I'll third buying a new one for that spot, and putting this one somewhere out of the way where it can recover.

It's established so I'd give it a chance. If it were mine, let if flush out, prune it back midsummer to branch more and to try to reform the head. That means sacrificing flowers this year. If not happy with by late summer/fall, move it and replant.

Just move it somewhere else while it’s dormant- give it a spot that is less risk of damage and let it come back with the vengeance that it’s guaranteed to come back with.

Replace with something new that’s less susceptible to snapping- those limelight branches are going to snap in a major storm no matter what- save yourself the reoccurring theme and find something new for the view.

Is it the "Limelight" in particular that is prone to snapping, or all tree-form hydrangeas? Actually, I've never had damage all these years other than an occasional small branch here and there, not until the big August storm in 2022.

From my experience with my 12 limelight’s- the branches though sturdy once established - are still prone to snapping. Mine have suffered storm damage more times than i can count. I’ve found that if I don’t leave the dried blooms and i hard prune, they are less prone to snapping, however even with practicing proper pruning, if there’s a storm, i still end up loosing some solid branches :(

The good thing is your limelight will recover. The downside is it might look a little wonky for a couple of seasons

I should note that i have several large oaks near my hedge which is why I believe they get snapped— they all get wrecked with the heavy winds. But the reason i recommend moving is because when they are recovering the shape is just totally off. I’d imagine the limelight tree will look even more silly while trying to establish itself again.

The problem that you are going to have now is that the tree may not develop new horizontal stems in the direction needed to have a tree hydrangea shaped in an aesthetically pleasing way. You can try for a year and see what happens but, you may have to move it elsewhere that is not prime real estate for you and buy a new Limelight tree for this spot. The current tree, once transplanted, can either be continued to grow lopsided if you were to want to or you can cut the trunk and let it grow as a shrub from that point forward. I suggest you wait a whole year to see what is growing and in what direction. Then decide what to do.

No qualms about plant removal (killing)...even perfectly decent ones which I have gotten bored with. Abominations (particularly those caused by my untender 'care') are dispatched with extra speed. I am getting on, time is short and plants are numerous. The answer is clear to me...but I realise I am not in any sort of majority plant loving consensus here in murderland.

MXK3 . You got a onr major pro on you side ....right. It's established. Root system is sufficient enough to hold the stem/blooms in place without any stake. On my LL standards, it took a solid 3-4 years of staking to get it a place where it can hold the heavy *top*. In year 3-4, even had to stake and put some tension as it was -started to lean- quite a bit in the direction of the sun.

On the left stem in the pic, if I saw a bud on the lower portion of it, I would consider cutting off the 2 laterals and hoping you get nice strong growth coming out of the thicker stem.

Maybe -forget about the blooms this year* and depening on new growth, cut the stems back in half mid-season to get additional set of stems for more framework. If you get a bloom later in the season, great.

If not, LL trees IMO are not expensive at the nursery and obviously has a full rounded branching....although it will require staking for a few years so that the root system can basically hold the hold thing in bloom

Side note - for years, I've always looked at it as the the energy always tends to flow to the top and all growth will always focus as high as the tops of the stems are. But every now and then....not often, will I get a new stem come out from way below the stem on any of branching (new stem almost as down as the top of the leader).

For those in this thread, how often have you seen new stems spawn from lower older stems. when existing multiple laterlas, new blooms etc exist on the same stem.