Hydrangea Magical® Ruby Snow Panicle Hydrangea

Magical® Ruby Snow is a compact shrub that grows to just 3 to 4 feet tall and 4 to 5 feet wide, so it works well in smaller gardens and mixes beautifully with perennial flowers. A hardy, free-flowering panicle hydrangea, it blooms on new wood starting in midsummer and continuing well into fall.

Large pyramidal mopheads emerge in a gleaming icy white color; but when the days shorten and the nights turn cooler as summer turns to fall, the flower heads begin to transform from the base up, first becoming soft pink, then gradually intensifying to ruby red with a snowy white cone remaining at the very top. Borne on sturdy, stalky stems, the billowy bicolor blooms are long-lasting. As cut flowers, they make big, impressive floral displays, fresh or dried. Left in the garden, the flower clusters turn tan to caramel in winter, adding a textural element to the off-season garden, and the hollow stems give bees a nesting habitat.

A Hydrangea paniculata, commonly called panicle hydrangea, Ruby Snow has an upright habit and is a perfect mixed bed, border, or foundation plant, whether used as a specimen or massed planted, and it's an absolute must for a cutting garden.

Worry and carefree, panicle hydrangeas are one of the easiest hydrangeas to grow. Panicle hydrangeas tend to resist pests and disease, and they tolerate more sun and drought than other hydrangeas. Ruby Snow is tough, reliable, and cold hardy to Zone 4. It grows and flowers best in sunny to partially shady locations with average, moist to dry, well-draining soil. Ruby Snow may benefit from some afternoon shade, though, especially in the South. To keep the shrub small and/or to encourage heavy branching and flowering, cut back the shrub by 1/3 or 1/2 its total height in early spring after the last frost date in your area.

Discover tips to ensure your hydrangeas thrive, from soil preparation to pruning techniques, by following our expert advice on the Hydrangea Planting and General Care Guide and the How to Prune Hydrangea Plants blog.