Top 10 Best Hydrangea Varieties from Proven Winners^®

1.  Limelight Prime^® Panicle Hydrangea (H. paniculata)

An improved, more refined 'Limelight' with darker, healthier-looking foliage, stronger stems, and a more compact, upright growth habit. It also blooms earlier, with bolder, brighter color. As the green blooms age, they develop pink and red tones. Stronger stems hold the big blooms up all summer long.

2.  Incrediball^® Smooth hydrangea (H. arborescens)

The original improved ‘Annabelle’! Plentiful, massive white flower heads are held up on stronger stems that keep them upright even after heavy rain. 

Zones: 3-8
Height: 4-5’

3. Pinky Winky Prime^® Panicle hydrangea (H. paniculata)

Truly massive blooms on a big, hearty habit. While other plants are going smaller, we’ve gone big. It’s the perfect size for use as a specimen or a hedge, and with its incredible color show, it’ll be the talk of the town.

Zones: 3-9
Height: 6-9’

4.  Invincibelle^® Spirit II Smooth hydrangea (H. arborescens)

Meet Invincibelle^® Spirit II hydrangea - an improved version of Invincibelle^® Spirit, the original pink 'Annabelle' hydrangea. It delivers darker foliage, stiffer stems, and larger flowers of a deeper, truer pink. This hydrangea grows from Manitoba to Mobile, blooming yearly from mid-summer to frost. $1 from each Invincibelle^® Spirit II sold is donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation^®. 

Zones: 3-8
Height/width:3.5-4’

5.  Let's Dance Sky View^® Reblooming bigleaf hydrangea (H. macrophylla x serrata)

Let's Dance Sky View hydrangea hybrid is a standout for consistent, yearly blooming. Selected from our extensive Let's Dance^® hydrangea breeding program for its ability to not only conserve its old wood buds in the face of weather challenges but also its ability to continue creating new flowers. You'll also love how easy it is to turn blue, which we recommend since it’s so spectacular this way: flowers emerge a beautiful soft blue with a honeydew-green eye before maturing to a full sky blue. 

Zones: 4-9
Height: 2-3’, width 2-4'

6. Quick Fire Fab^® Panicle hydrangea (H. paniculata)

A show-stopping, early bloomer with lots of wow. The large, upright, football-shaped blooms are densely packed with delicate, cruciform flowers of a pleasing coconut-lime color. But there's more. Delicious watermelon hues quickly appear at the base of the bloom and darken as they work their way up toward a contrasting lime-green tip. A fabulous, upright garden plant that holds its bottom-to-top blooms with ease and elegance.

Zones: 3-9
Height: 6-8’, width 5-6'

7. Little Lime Punch^® Panicle hydrangea (H. paniculata)

Zones: 3-9
Height/width: 3-5’

8. Fire Light ^® Panicle hydrangea (H. paniculata)

Fire Light^® has become the standard by which to measure all hardy hydrangeas. Upright panicles are packed with florets, which transform from pure white to rich pomegranate-pink. Its thick, sturdy stems hold up the beautiful flowers so they are prominently displayed in the garden. 

Zones: 3-9
Height/width: 6-8’

9. Bobo^® Panicle hydreangea (H. paniculata) 

This dwarf panicle hydrangea will turn heads! Bobo^® hydrangea is engulfed by large white flowers in summer. The flowers are held upright on strong stems and continue to grow and lengthen as they bloom. No flopping, unlike some panicle hydrangeas! As the blooms age, they turn pink. 

Zones: 3-9
Height: 2.5-3’, width 3-4'

10. Tuff Stuff Ah-Ha^® Mountain hydrangea (H. serrata)

Zones: 4-9
Height/width: 2-3’