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Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Nikko Blue’
mophead hydrangea
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Image © www.mobot.org |
Printer-friendly Fact Sheet
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| Outstanding Qualities |
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An old standard of the garden, ‘Nikko Blue’ has withstood the test of time. This prolifically flowering deciduous shrub is covered with powder-blue to lavender-blue or pale pink flowers starting in early to mid summer. Mix with rhododendrons and azaleas to provide summer color. The lush foliage of hostas and ferns are perfect complements. Try mixing with variegated and silver foliaged plants to play off the blues and pinks. |
| Culture |
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‘Nikko Blue’ grows best in partial to bright shade. A fertile organic soil with good drainage produces the best growth and flowering. Hydrangeas are not drought tolerant and will grow and flower more prolifically with regular summer watering. The typically acidic soils of the Pacific Northwest will cause the variable flowers to bloom toward pale blues and lilacs, for pink flowers add lime to raise the pH and sweeten the soil. Have a soil test done to determine the amount of lime. Changing the color can often take a few years to accomplish with more than one application of lime. Hydrangeas will bloom heaviest on one-year old branches and to a lesser extent on new growth. Prune only to remove a few old twiggy branches to the ground yearly or lightly to improve the overall shape. Heavy pruning can ruin the flowering for the following year. ‘Nikko Blue’ can sometimes be slow to establish, flowering will be shy for the first few years then become more prolific. |
| Growing Habit |
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This deciduous shrub has a rounded shape and will mature to 5 to 6 feet tall and wide. |
| Hardiness |
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USDA zones 6 to 9 |
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© 2009 Elisabeth Carey Miller Botanical Garden
Funded by the Pendleton and Elisabeth Carey Miller Charitable Foundation
Administered by the Elisabeth Carey Miller Botanical Garden