Limelight Hydrangea
Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight'
Height
200–250 cm
Flower size
25–30 cm
Bloom time
July – October
Light
Sun / Partial Shade
Watering
Moderate
Hardiness
Zone 3 (up to -40°C)
Fragrance
Faint
Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages
- Exceptionally sturdy shoots: bush holds its shape without staking
- Unique lemon-green (lime) color at the start of blooming
- Handles air pollution well (good for urban gardens)
- Stable decorative value until late autumn
Disadvantages
- Requires a lot of space (bush is wide and tall)
- Lime tint fades to white quickly in full sun
- Late autumn panicles turn brown (unlike varieties that turn red beautifully)
Use in Landscape Design
The king of hedges. Creates a 2-meter dense wall. Plant 1–1.2m apart. Often used to create 'standard' (tree-form) hydrangeas because the trunk thickens fast.
Variety Description: Green Gold
Named for its unique petal shade. Starts as lime-green in July, turns creamy-white in August, and gets a slight pink blush by September. Velvet-green foliage is pest-resistant.
Planting and Light
Less demanding of acidity than others; grows in neutral loam but prefers peat. Note: to keep the lime color longer, plant in light partial shade. Full sun turns it white very fast.
Watering and Drought Tolerance
Powerful roots make it more drought-tolerant than Annabelle. Still, regular water is best for blooms. A weak potassium permanganate solution once a month strengthens the stems.
Pruning: Building the Skeleton
Forgives pruning mistakes but loves a trim. 1. Sanitary: Remove broken or thin inward-growing branches in spring. 2. Formative: Shorten last year's growth by 2/3 (2-3 bud pairs). For hedges, you can prune less to gain height faster, though flowers will be smaller.
Winter Preparation
Outstanding hardiness (Zone 3). Mature bushes need no cover. Only the tips might freeze in extreme winters, which are pruned in spring anyway. Cut flower heads in autumn.
Diseases
One of the healthiest. Rare fungal issues. Treat chlorosis with iron chelates if leaves yellow.