Do you want to plant a hydrangea or two in your garden but don’t know where to put them? Do you have a woodland garden that needs some love or a sunny, warm flower garden that needs some filling in? Will your hydrangea need full sun, partial shade, or full shade when you plant it?
Unfortunately, there isn’t a short answer to this question. The good news is that some types of hydrangea can grow in full sun, partial shade, or even shade that is very close to full sun. Again, this is variety dependent and will also depend on the geographic hardiness zone.
Find out about the different kinds of hydrangeas in this article, along with the best ways to grow them. The good news is that there is a type of hydrangea that will probably grow well in your garden, no matter how much sun it gets. Let’s jump in!.
Hydrangeas are cherished for their lush blooms and attractive foliage, gracing gardens with their beauty But proper placement in sun or shade is key to getting the most out of these gorgeous shrubs There’s much confusion over whether hydrangea bushes prefer sun or shade. The truth is, it depends on the variety! Read on to gain clarity on optimal sun versus shade and see hydrangea recommendations for both conditions.
How Sunlight Affects Hydrangeas
Sun exposure impacts hydrangeas in several key ways:
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Inadequate sun leads to leggy, weak growth and reduced flowering.
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Too much intense sunlight can scorch leaves and cause wilting.
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Morning sun is beneficial for most types, helping flower initiation
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Afternoon shade protects against heat stress during the hottest months.
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Some varieties tolerate more sun than others depending on type.
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Insufficient sun fades flower colors, while ample sun intensifies them.
The ideal for many hydrangeas is roughly 4-6 hours of sun daily, with protection during the afternoon. But specific needs vary. Read on for details!
Best Hydrangeas for Full Sun Locations
The following hydrangea varieties thrive with 6 hours or more direct sun:
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Panicle hydrangeas – Limelight, Quick Fire, Little Lime, Zinfin Doll, Pinky Winky, Strawberry Vanilla
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Smooth hydrangeas – Endless Summer, Forever and Ever, Let’s Dance, Cityline
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Oakleaf hydrangeas – Gatsby, Alice, Snow Queen
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Climbing hydrangeas – Miranda, Firefly, Skylight
Tips for full sun hydrangeas:
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Plant in morning sun, afternoon shade if possible
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Provide supplemental water, especially at midday
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Mulch to keep roots cool and moist
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Watch for wilting on hot days as a sign to water promptly
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Apply shade cloth if afternoon sun is unavoidable
Best Hydrangeas for Part Sun or Part Shade
Most hydrangeas thrive in roughly 4-6 hours of filtered sun or part shade, including:
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Bigleaf hydrangeas – Nikko Blue, Penny Mac, All Summer Beauty, Endless Summer
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Lacecap hydrangeas – Blue Wave, Blue Billow, White Wave, Pink Beauty
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Smooth hydrangeas – Pink a Boo, Strawberry Sundae, Vanilla Strawberry
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Mountain hydrangeas – Blue Deckle, Wedding Gown, Everlasting Revolution
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Oakleaf hydrangeas – Ruby Slippers, Snowflake
Recommendations for part sun or shade:
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Morning sun is ideal for flower initiation
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Afternoon shade prevents foliage and blooms from wilting
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Filtered light throughout the day also works well
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Less supplemental watering needed versus full sun placement
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Avoid reflected heat that can burn west or south facing sites
Best Hydrangeas for Full Shade
The following types tolerate or even prefer all-day shade:
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Oakleaf hydrangeas – Snow Queen, Alice, Gatsby Moon
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Climbing hydrangeas – Madame Juliette, Mirranda, Firefly
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Bigleaf hydrangeas – Endless Summer Twist and Shout, Blushing Bride
Tips for planting in full shade:
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Filtered light or morning sun improves flowering
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Bloom size and color may be reduced without sunlight
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Keep soil consistently moist for best growth
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Mulch around plants to help retain soil moisture
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Give shrubs ample space for airflow circulation
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Prune occasionally to open up interior to light
Ideal Times for Sun versus Shade
Morning sun with afternoon shade provides the perfect compromise of light for most hydrangeas. But if that’s not possible in your location, focus sun exposure during these ideal times:
Spring – Sun is beneficial to stimulate vegetative growth and flower bud development after winter dormancy.
Summer – More shade is better to prevent heat stress during times of intense sunlight.
Fall – Sunlight again becomes beneficial before dormancy to improve winter hardiness.
Winter – Full sun exposure on dormant plants is fine if desired for competitive pruning.
Adjust any fixed shade structures seasonally to maximize or reduce sun exposure during the most helpful times.
Sun Requirements by USDA Zone
Hydrangea sunlight needs also vary by geographic location:
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Cooler zones (4-6) – Most types tolerate more direct sun without burning.
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Warmer zones (7-9) – Afternoon shade is imperative to prevent wilting and scorching.
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Southern zones (8-9) – Dappled shade or morning sun is best to minimize stress.
If you’re unsure of your zone, utilize the USDA Zone Finder tool online to confirm average annual minimum temperatures in your region. Use this information when selecting hydrangea varieties best suited to your sunlight conditions.
Improving Sunny Site Conditions
If choosing to grow hydrangeas in fuller sun exposure, enhance the location to reduce problems like wilting. Useful tactics include:
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Amending soil with compost or peat for moisture retention
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Top-dressing around plants with mulch to keep roots cool
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Setting up temporary shade with stretches of shade cloth
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Providing consistent water, especially if soil dries rapidly
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Planting on the east side of structures or vegetation to block afternoon sun
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Allowing ample spacing between hydrangeas for airflow to prevent fungal issues
With a few simple adjustments, you can successfully grow most hydrangeas even in sunnier spots than typically recommended.
Signs Your Hydrangea Needs More Sunlight
When hydrangeas don’t receive sufficient sun for the variety, they exhibit telltale symptoms:
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Leggy growth with weak, bending stems
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Smaller bloom size on flower heads
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Pale or faded flower colors versus intense hues
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Low flower production with sparse blooms
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Wilting despite regular watering
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Increased pest and disease susceptibility
If noticing these warning signs, first assess how much sun your plants receive daily. Look for opportunities to increase sunlight, especially during morning hours. Proper light is vital!
Signs Your Hydrangea is Getting Too Much Sun
On the flip side, the following indicates a hydrangea is getting scorched with excess sunlight:
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Leaves yellowing or browning on edges and tips
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Burnt patches on exposed leaf surfaces
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Blossoms browning, crisping, or fading in color
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Wilting frequently, even when well-watered
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Drooping due to heat and light stress
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Sparse leaf cover and dieback in top growth
These issues call for diffusing harsh sunlight with shade cloth or locating a site with afternoon shade to protect your hydrangeas.
Ideal Companion Plants That Thrive in Sun or Shade
Here are some excellent companion plants for hydrangeas in either sun or shade:
Sun: Roses, spirea, potentilla, coneflower, coral bells, catmint, astilbe, sedum, ornamental grasses
Shade: Astilbe, hosta, ferns, impatiens, coral bells, Solomon’s seal, hellebore, pulmonaria, tiarella
Choose companion plants that share the hydrangea’s preferred amount of light to create a cohesive look. Blend sun plants with sun-loving hydrangeas and shade with shade varieties.
Let the Variety Be Your Sun and Shade Guide
While sunlight needs differ among the hundreds of hydrangea varieties, following the recommended exposure for each type prevents frustration. Landscape with shade-lovers in shady spots and sun-worshippers where light abounds. With this simple approach, you can revel in the beauty of hydrangea’s lush blooms regardless of the amount of sun or shade your garden offers. Give them what they need and they will thrive!
So, Full Sun or Partial Shade?
The correct answer is both! Plants that like some shade, or sometimes just some sun, need three to six hours of direct sunlight every day. Sun-loving plants require six hours or more of direct sunlight per day.
If you don’t know how much sun your yard gets, check a certain spot in your garden every hour or two from dawn until dusk. Take note of how sunny or shady the spot is from there. You can also find sunlight calculators at garden centers. These are a great way to find information quickly.
All species of hydrangea will indeed grow well in partial shade. However, some of these species will actually thrive with a bit more sun. There is one variety in particular that loves full sun: Hydrangea paniculata, or the panicle hydrangea.
Many hydrangeas are sensitive to soil pH, especially when it comes to controlling the color of your blooms. However, H. macrophylla and H. serrata are two species that are not great candidates for deep shade or full sun.
Hydrangeas in the Shade
Hydrangeas thrive with that perfect combination of morning sun and afternoon shade. Even Hydrangea paniculata, which is a sun lover, will do well in partial shade. However, some varieties of hydrangea can tolerate full shade.
If you want to know more about oakleaf hydrangea, which is a large type of hydrangea, click here. It can grow to be eight feet tall. This large shrub is a great backdrop in a shade garden. The height will offer great summertime privacy. Oakleaf hydrangea has mostly white flowers that bloom in the summer. Its leaves are shaped like oak leaves and have beautiful peeling bark.
Another full shade option is Hydrangea anomala ssp petiolaris. This species of climbing plant has lacy white flowers in the summer and can grow up to 50 feet tall if it is well supported. The leaves are a deep green color and look beautiful on the outside of a building, on the roof of a garden shed, or even growing up a tree trunk.
The maintenance of full-shade varieties is the same as partial shade. Keeping the plants free of leaf litter, with good airflow, will be especially important in the deeper shade. Once your plant has been established, water it about once a week. Watch the leaves and water them often if they look like they’re drooping, especially in the summer when it’s hot. This is especially important in hotter climates.
The interesting shape of these leaves would make a really nice accent to Hosta leaves. The white flowers would bring some bright color to your shady spots and go well with the lighter colors of your shady flowers.
There are a few different varieties of hydrangea that perform well in the shade. There are even some types that can grow in zone three, which is colder and doesn’t get warmer until later in the spring. Let’s take a look at some of the top shade varieties!.
‘Snow Queen’ is a stunner. As with all hydrangeas, the flowers are gorgeous. These blooms arrive in midsummer in a rosy blush tone. My favorite part of this plant is the foliage. The leaves are a deep green at first, but as the season goes on, they slowly change color until they are a deep reddish bronze. They add a beautiful splash of color to your fall garden.
This is among the largest of the Oakleaf Hydrangea, growing from anywhere between 12 and 15 feet. This plant produces really rich cream-colored flowers in the summertime. ‘Alice’ would be really special in a woodland garden. This variety would be especially stunning when planted as a hedge to create a border.
‘Annabelle’ has some of the biggest flowers in the hydrangea family—12 inches across!—and it likes some shade. The stems are strong enough to support these massive flowers all season long. Give this shrub plenty of room to grow; it grows to five feet high and five feet wide. These whopper flowers are pure white and are long-blooming.
‘Annabelle’ would be charming in a foundation planting, as a specimen shrub, or in a mass planting. Don’t count these shrubs out in your cutting garden! Imagine flowers that big in a bouquet! Wow!.
Do Hydrangeas like sun or shade?
Can hydrangeas grow in shade?
There are a number of hydrangea varieties that grow well in the shade. Hydrangeas thrive with that perfect combination of morning sun and afternoon shade. Even Hydrangea paniculata, which is a sun lover, will do well in partial shade. However, some varieties of hydrangea can tolerate full shade .
Do hydrangeas need full sun?
Many hydrangea bushes prefer some shade, especially in warmer climates, however, there are cultivars that can not only tolerate sun but also thrive in it. We have versatile hydrangeas that can grow in full shade or full sun. The majority of hydrangeas need some filtered light or a couple of hours of full sun to bloom at their best.
Which Hydrangeas are tolerant of Sun?
These shrubs are less common than others on our list, but one in particular is worth mentioning. The ‘Gatsby Gal’ is a popular oakleaf cultivar. Another beautiful variety, Hydrangea quercifolia is typically tolerant of more shade, but ‘Gatsby Gal’ is a sun lover.
Do big leaf hydrangeas grow in full sun?
The ‘Cityline Mars’ is one of the most popular varieties in the big leaf series. There are about five varieties in this series of sun loving big leaf hydrangeas. The majority of them come in shades of rich purple and blue. They will all do well in full sun.
