Tips and Tricks for Nurturing Your Vanilla Strawberry™ Hydrangea to Perfection

Strawberry vanilla hydrangea with bi-colored flower head of white and pink petals clustered on branches

The Vanilla Strawberry hydrangea is a popular cultivar of the Hydrangea paniculata species, known for its summer color that changes from pure white to a pale pink and eventually matures into a deep strawberry red. This results in a unique bi-colored flower head with some new stems producing white flowers mixed with the pinkish-red of older stems. It is usually planted as a potted nursery specimen in early fall or spring and can achieve full size within a year due to its fast-growing nature. As a deciduous shrub that grows up to 6-8 feet tall and 4-5 feet wide, it prefers well-drained soil and full sun exposure for six to eight hours each day. It is best to prune the shrub in late winter or early spring before new growth begins, and it can be grown as a multi-stem shrub or a tree-like appearance by selecting a straight central leader stem and removing the other side stems.

Strawberry vanilla hydrangea with bi-colored flowers clustered with white and pink petals closeup

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Image Source: The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

Strawberry vanilla hydrangeas on branches with white and pink bi-colored flower heads

Strawberry vanilla hydrangea on long thin stems with white and pink flower heads in between branches

Vanilla Strawberry hydrangeas require six to eight hours of direct sunlight per day for the best color and most blossoms. They prefer direct sun during the morning hours. Good drainage is the primary soil requirement, but any soil type will work. Water the plant regularly to prevent fewer flowers, especially during periods of drought or hot weather. The shrub is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8 and can tolerate temperatures down to -30°F. Vanilla Strawberry hydrangeas need nutrient-rich soil, and compost can be supplemented with a balanced fertilizer each spring. Late fall, winter, or early spring pruning is recommended to allow for summer flowering. Propagation of Vanilla Strawberry cultivars is prohibited by law. Container culture is possible, but plants should be over-wintered in a sheltered location. The shrub may suffer from bacterial wilt, blight, leaf spot, mildew, rust, aphids, and mites. Failure to bloom may be attributed to a lack of water, poor soil, inadequate sunlight, or improper pruning. Panicle hydrangeas tend to droop, but this can be prevented with adequate sunlight and pruning.

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