Hydrangea macrophylla Twist-n-Shout®
One of the new Endless Summer® series from Dr. Michael Dirr!
Plant Patent #20,176. Cultivar name: 'PIIHM-1'. Here it is -- the one and only reblooming lacecap Hydrangea, and it can be yours! (Order now, though. We're seriously low on quantity already.) The first lacecap cultivar in the amazing Endless Summer® series of reblooming Hydrangeas from Dr. Michael Dirr, this ultra-compact shrub is just the right size for large containers as well as the shade border. It will regale you with two seasons of beautiful blooms every year -- and if you live in an area where springs can be late and unexpectedly frosty, it will guarantee you a late-summer to fall flower show even if the first round of blooms gets nipped in the bud!
Bred from 'Penny Mac' x 'Lady in Red', Twist-n-Shout® comes by its good looks, vigorous growth, and dependable rebloom honestly. Just 3 to 5 feet high and wide, it leafs out in spring with a profusion of bright green foliage, very showy and dense. By early summer the first blooms are already opening, each with an inner circlet of tiny fertile flowers surrounded by a large, loose ray of sterile florets. Both the flowers and the florets may be pink or blue, depending on the pH level of the soil. And as if all this color weren't enough, the flower stems are a bright pinkish-red! Talk about gilding the Hydrangea!
The second wave of flowers occurs toward autumn, just when the garden is looking a bit threadbare and between times. These flowers are superb in fresh or dried arrangements, and also mature beautifully right on the plant, drying into antique hues as autumn becomes colder.
. . . But still there's more! The foliage gets into the act on Twist-n-Shout®, turning from green to orange, then rosy-red, and finally maroon in autumn. This is truly a multi-color, multi-season, multi-appeal shrub, and we highly recommend that you reserve one immediately for your garden. It may just be your favorite new plant of 2011 . . . and if you want, get all of its siblings, too: Endless Summer®, white-to-pink 'Blushing Bride', and rosy-pink H. arborescens Bella Anna™. Zones 4-9.
| Genus | Hydrangea |
| Species | macrophylla |
| Variety | Twist-n-Shout® |
| Bloom Season | Early Summer - Early Fall |
| Habit | Mound-shaped |
| Zone | 4 - 9 |
| Plant Height | 3 ft - 5 ft |
| Plant Width | 3 ft - 5 ft |
| Item Form | Trade Gallon (3qt) |
| Additional Characteristics | Bloom First Year, Butterfly Lovers, Easy Care Plants, Fall Color, Fast Growing, Free Bloomer, Long Bloomers, Repeat Bloomer |
| Bloom Color | Blue, Pink |
| Foliage Color | Burgundy, Medium Green, Orange, Rose |
| Light Requirements | Part Shade |
| Moisture Requirements | Moist, well-drained |
| Resistance | Disease Resistant, Heat Tolerant, Humidity Tolerant, Pest Resistant |
| Season Of Interest | Summer |
| Soil Tolerance | Clay, Normal, loamy |
| Uses | Border, Containers, Cut Flowers, Fall Color, Foliage Interest, Specimen |
| Restrictions | CAN, HI, PR |
Following just a few simple growing tips for hydrangea will produce healthy plants with fluffy colorful blooms year after year.
Planting Your Hydrangea
Planting your hydrangeas in early spring or in the fall is ideal. When you are planting a hydrangea, remember that the blooms and stems must be protected from strong winds and the hot afternoon sun. Avoid planting in open areas where strong winds could break stems. Planting on the eastern side of a building ensures that, in the afternoon, when the sun is at its hottest, your plants are in the shade.Make sure your plant has good drainage. If the soil is too wet, the roots might rot, and the plant will die. Incorporate a lot of organic matter and an all-purpose slow-release fertilizer into the soil to give your hydrangea a strong start.
General Hydrangea Care
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If you plant them in the summer, they need a lot more water in the beginning to establish the root system.
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Most varieties thrive in full sun to part shade, as long as they are planted in moist, rich soil.
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Water deeply once a week, and maybe more, if the weather is particularly hot or dry.
- Hydrangea fertilization needs vary greatly, depending on your intended bloom color. Certain elements of the fertilizer affect the soil pH, which is a major determinant of bloom color in the pink/blue hydrangea varieties.
| Hydrangeas can live for many years without ever needing to be pruned, but if your shrubs grow out of bounds or lose flowering vigor, then there are some essential pruning guidelines you must follow to ensure bountiful blooms the next year! Hydrangea macrophylla and H. quercifolia These generally bloom on old wood and require little pruning. Prune spent blooms immediately after flowering (midsummer), or remove only dead, damaged or unsightly wood. |
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Hydrangea macrophylla (Bigleaf, Mophead, or Lacecap Hydrangeas) These Hydrangeas begin blooming in early to midsummer and can continue until summer's end, so they set their bloom buds during late summer or early fall. When pruning mopheads, you have two options, and will probably end up doing a combination of both:
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| Exception: If you have a reblooming variety such as Penny Mac that flowers on new wood as well as old wood, you'll want to prune a little every year just to keep the new wood coming. | |
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Hydrangea quercifolia (Oakleaf Hydrangea) You can get away without pruning Oakleaf Hydrageas at all, but if you want to keep them well-shaped, cut dead stems back at the base in late winter or early spring. |
| Hydrangea arborescens and H. paniculata These shrubs bloom on new wood and actually produce larger blooms if cut back to the ground in late winter. |
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Hydrangea arborescens (Smooth Hydrangea) This is one of the easiest Hydrangeas to prune. Because it blooms only on new wood, you can just cut it back to the ground in late winter, before any new buds appear. If you experience some flopping of flowering branches, then leave a framework of old growth to help support the branches by only cutting stems back to 2 feet from the ground. |
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Hydrangea paniculata (Pee Gee or Panicle Hydrangeas) Prune this Hydrangea in late winter to keep the plants from becoming overgrown and encourage more new growth, more flower buds, and larger blooms. You can remove dead flowers, as soon as they become unattractive and clean up the overall shape of the plant. |
| Hydrangea petiolaris | |
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Hydrangea petiolaris (Climbing Hydrangea) Climbing Hydrangea requires little to no pruning, but if you need to trim it to keep it in bounds, you should prune it just after flowering. Cut back last year's flower shoots to 1 to 2 inches and pruning out shoots that fail to cling or have pulled away from their support. |
| Remember, Hydrangeas are shade tolerant, but they do require adequate sunlight and irrigation to bloom properly. In northern climates and coastal areas, Hydrangeas will grow beautifully in full sun, but in warmer southern areas, a location in part shade where the shrub receives full to partial morning sun with protection from harsh afternoon sun is ideal. Placed in the right location, given ample moisture, and pruned using the guidelines above, your Hydrangeas will be an abundant source of gorgeous blooms long into the future. | |
How to Adjust Hydrangea Color
Hydrangeas may produce pink, blue, or lavender blooms, depending on where it’s planted and how it’s fed. The presence of aluminum in the plant ultimately determines the color, and pH affects the uptake of aluminum. Alkaline soils, pH of 6.0 or more, are more likely to produce pink blooms, and more acidic soils, pH 4.5 to 5.5, produce blue flowers.
Using Hydrangeas for Cut-Flower Arrangements
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Cut them just as blooms fully develop.
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Cut your flowers in the early morning, before the sun comes up to evaporate some of their moisture.
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Cutting at diagonal will allow the stem to take in the most amount of water, some people will even cut slits or fray the ends of the stems a little.
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Place your freshly cut flowers in a bucket of cool water to soak for an hour or two before arranging your final product.
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Use a commercial floral preservative to get the best results. This will feed your flowers, maintain a constant pH, and will serve as an anti-microbial to prevent premature decay. You should be able to find this at a local nursery.
- Keep in mind that many gardeners and florists complain that hydrangeas wilt faster than other cut flowers and may require a little extra planning.
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Keep it out of drafty areas and direct sunlight to prevent the flowers from drying. Finally, you can just sit back and admire your new décor or enjoy your special moment.
To download this How-To for yourself, with complete information, please follow this link. Because the file is in PDF format, you will require the Adobe Reader to be able to view it. We hope that you will enjoy this guide and refer to it for years to come.















