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Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Amethyst’
mophead hydrangea
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Image © Joy Creek Nursery |
Printer-friendly Fact Sheet
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| Outstanding Qualities |
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A choice summer-flowering deciduous shrub, Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Amethyst‘, is unique for its charming mophead flowers that produce both single and double florets. In mid-summer, clusters of pale-pink to pale-purple flowers develop, each petal-like sepal touched toward the edge with mauve. Flowering will continue until early fall. The flower trusses are smaller and more delicate than other mopheads, but hold their color well giving a long season of interest. Early flowers will often have more single blooms and later flowers will have more double florets. Use in rhododendron and azalea plantings to add summer color. Shade-loving perennials such as hostas or ferns add wonderful lush surroundings to the summer blooms. |
| Culture |
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‘Amethyst’ grows best in partial to bright shade. A location avoiding hot sun will keep the foliage and flowers from prematurely fading or scorching. 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 purple and blue tones. 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. 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 |
| Growing Habit |
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This deciduous shrub will grow to about 4 feet tall and slightly wider in ten years. Mature plants form a rounded shrub with a somewhat coarse texture due to the bold foliage. |
| 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