Laura Walters
How big do hydrangea bushes get? It’s a common question, but there is no one easy answer since varieties differ. However, it’s important to know how much room you’ll need before you bring a hydrangea home from the nursery. That’s why I’m here to play Goldilocks and help you find a hydrangea that’s not too big, not too small, but one that’s just right.
When growing hydrangeas you can choose from large shrubs that qualify as small trees, all the way down to compact varieties that never get above knee height. There are many different types of hydrangeas that range between both ends of the spectrum, including lots of hydrangeas that are specifically bred to stay small.
To make the process of choosing the perfect plant for your landscape easier, we’ve come up with a short list of some of the best big and small hydrangeas. Read on to find the shrub that’s just right for your outdoor space.
What Is the Average Size of a Hydrangea?
There are many varieties of hydrangeas and numerous cultivars of each variety, but how big does a hydrangea get in general? Most hydrangeas stay between 4 and 20 feet (1.3-6.6 m) tall, but some grow much smaller and others much taller. For example, some hydrangeas can reach up to 40 feet (13.3 m) high.
What this means is that there are beautiful ways to use hydrangeas in any landscape, regardless of size. If your yard is vast, pick from among the big hydrangea varieties. However, for cozy, compact garden spaces, you’ll have many small varieties and cultivars to choose from.
Be careful, though. When it comes to hydrangea plant size, some cultivars are naturally compact, but others listed as “small” must be regularly pruned to keep them from growing outside that category.
Best Large Hydrangea Varieties
If you already know where to plant your hydrangeas, but are looking for a large shrub to fill that space, you should know a few things about hydrangea shrub size first. “Big hydrangeas” can get very big. In fact, climbing hydrangeas can shoot up taller than your house. But generally, hydrangeas are considered “large” if they are at least 5 feet (1.6 m) tall.
When you are looking for big shrubs, panicle hydrangeas (H. paniculata) are a good place to start. These varieties can grow to 25 feet tall (8.3 m) in the wild and up to 20 feet tall (6.6 m) in the garden with an equal spread. At this height, these hydrangeas can be called large shrubs or small trees.
There are plenty of large bigleaf hydrangea (H. macrophylla) cultivars as well, as this is one of the most popular varieties of shrub. In the wild, bigleaf hydrangeas can grow taller than 15 feet (5 m) tall, while they stay about half that size in the garden.
Included in this group is the beloved mophead hydrangea with big, globe-shaped flowers that change color with different soil pH levels. The more acidic the soil, the bluer the flowers. The more alkaline the soil, the pinker the blooms.
If you prune hydrangeas on a regular basis, you can maintain them at a smaller height. But it’s best to choose the right size hydrangea from the start. Here are the best large hydrangea varieties to consider, if you’re looking for a big shrub with stunning blooms.
1. ‘Grandiflora’ or ‘PeeGee’
These are vigorous plants that produce a dense crop of heavy, conical flowers with very attractive blooms that grow to 6 inches (15 cm) long. They start out white, then turn pink as they mature and darken in autumn. If you don’t prune the shrub, PeeGee hydrangeas can grow to 20 feet (6.6 m) tall.
You can find PeeGee hydrangeas for sale at the Home Depot.
2. ‘Limelight’
Limelight hydrangeas can grow to 12 feet (4 m) tall. Their panicles of flowers appear in June in a true lime green color, then turn white in July, and finally become pink in autumn. The blossoms are dense and bigger than your fist.
Get a Limelight hydrangea today in the Gardening Know How Shop.
3. ‘Madame Emile Mouillère’
This lovely white hydrangea was introduced over a century ago and is extremely popular, though it can be a bit hard to find at the nursery. The flowers are snowball-like with scalloped edges to the florets. These large, elegant shrubs grow 6 feet (2 m) tall and wide.
For a similar look with flowers that rebloom all summer long, try the ‘Endless Summer Blushing Bride’ hydrangea from the Home Depot.
4. ‘Nikko Blue’
Though the name suggests otherwise, Nikko Blue hydrangea flowers start out in a soft, light green shade. The huge, round blooms turn a deep blue as they mature and create a truly show-stopping display. These bright blue hydrangeas grow 5 feet (1.6 m) tall and wide, making them a stately choice for large gardens.
You can find beautiful Nikko Blue hydrangeas for sale at Walmart.
Best Small Hydrangea Varieties
Many people who ask “How big do hydrangea bushes get?” are concerned that the shrubs will be too big for their garden. But there are plenty of compact dwarf hydrangea varieties you can wedge snugly into a container or use to light up a tight garden corner.
There are lots of dwarf panicle hydrangeas and even some bigleaf varieties that stay quite small. One other good hydrangea variety to consider is mountain hydrangea (H. serrata). It is a smaller version of the bigleaf that generally stays under 4 feet (1.3 m) tall, though often much smaller.
This variety is very hardy, with smaller leaves and lacecap flowers—rounded disks of short flowers surrounded by bigger, showy flowers. Like mophead hydrangeas, mountain hydrangeas can change flower color from blue to pink depending on the soil pH.
1. ‘Bobo’
This dwarf hydrangea is only 2-3 feet (.6–1 m) tall, but during its extended blooming period, the entire shrub is covered with large, conical blossoms. Bobo hydrangea flowers are snow white for most of the season, then turn dusky pink as they age.
Get your Bobo hydrangea from the trusted brand Proven Winners at the Home Depot.
2. ‘Little Lime Punch’
This cute cultivar, which tops out at 3-5 feet (1-1.6 m) high, produces cone-shaped flower heads that appear in a soft shade of lime green, then progress to white, pale pink, and finally fruit punch red. You’ll have all of these colors on the shrub at the same time as the plants rebloom throughout the summer.
Add tropical flair with a Little Lime Punch hydrangea from Proven Winners at the Home Depot.
3. ‘Seaside Serenade Newport’
This unique cultivar offers big flower clusters in colors ranging from blue violet to deep pink, depending on soil pH. It tops out at about 4 feet (1.3 m) or less. This showy shrub is a rebloomer, producing wave after wave of mophead flower clusters that mature to deep pink on very sturdy stems.
For a similar look and size, try the ‘Let’s Dance Arriba’ reblooming hydrangea from Home Depot.
4. ‘Let’s Dance Sky View’
Another short stunner, Let’s Dance Sky View tops out at 3 feet (1 m) tall and wide. It offers oversized blooms in pastel tones. When shrubs are grown in acidic soils, their blooms emerge blue with a green center, but move toward solid blue as they mature.
This small variety, which is a mix between the bigleaf and the mountain types, is a perfect hydrangea for containers, but also works well in garden beds.
You can Let’s Dance Sky View hydrangeas for sale at the Home Depot.
5. ‘Tiny Tuff Stuff’
This small shrub stays at two feet (.6 m) or less with an equal spread. The abundant flowers are the lacecap form and keep coming throughout the summer. If you wonder why these blooms are so showy, it’s because they have double sepals in pastel shades of blue, lavender, or pink, depending on soil pH.
Order your Tiny Tuff Stuff hydrangea today from the Home Depot.
This article features products available from third party vendors on the Gardening Know How Shop. Keep in mind that our plant inventory is limited—so if you’re thinking of purchasing, don’t wait!
