Panicle hydrangea 'Vanilla Strawberry'

Questions about panicle hydrangea 'Vanilla Strawberry'

Does panicle hydrangea 'Vanilla Strawberry' need sun or shade?

Panicle hydrangea 'Vanilla Strawberry' grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day) and part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun).

It wants soil that stays evenly moist, of average fertility, and a good soak in dry spells.

What zones does panicle hydrangea 'Vanilla Strawberry' grow in?

USDA zones 3 to 8. It is hardy to zone 3, which means it survives winter nights down to about −30 °F (−34 °C).

Above zone 8 it struggles: the zones measure winter cold, but a plant's top zone usually means the summers are too hot or the winters too mild for it to rest.

Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.

When does panicle hydrangea 'Vanilla Strawberry' flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers mid July to early October. As a summer flower it moves about half a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer.

Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.

How far apart should panicle hydrangea 'Vanilla Strawberry' be planted?

4 ft (120 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 5 ft (150 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 6½ ft (200 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many panicle hydrangea 'Vanilla Strawberry' plants do I need?

Usually one. At 4 ft (120 cm) across, it is a plant you place, not one you mass. For a hedge or screen, set them 4 ft apart: three plants for a 10 ft run.

In the bed above, the planner used one in one group.

Is panicle hydrangea 'Vanilla Strawberry' poisonous to dogs and cats?

Yes: mild toxicity to people, dogs, cats and horses. Leaves and buds can cause vomiting and diarrhoea if eaten.

Rated from NC State Extension. Where references disagree, the more cautious rating is used.

Is there a pet-safe plant like panicle hydrangea 'Vanilla Strawberry'?

These come closest to doing what panicle hydrangea 'Vanilla Strawberry' does, and no toxicity is recorded for them:

• Summersweet: the same job in a bed, the same size and the same colour; flowers mid July to mid August.
• Viburnum 'Summer Snowflake': the same job in a bed and the same colour; 12 in wider, flowers mid May to early September.
• Siberian dogwood: the same job in a bed and the same colour; 12 in wider, flowers late May to early June.

Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.

Do deer eat panicle hydrangea 'Vanilla Strawberry'?

They may. NC State does not list it as resistant to deer or rabbits. Where they visit, protect it, or plant it among ones they avoid.

What flowers after panicle hydrangea 'Vanilla Strawberry'?

Panicle hydrangea 'Vanilla Strawberry' is over by early October. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:

• Swamp sunflower: from late September to late October, 6½ ft tall.
• Tatarian aster 'Jindai': from early October to early November, 4 ft tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
• Chrysanthemum 'Sheffield Pink': from late September to early November, 2½ ft tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.

What does panicle hydrangea 'Vanilla Strawberry' look like in winter?

Panicle hydrangea 'Vanilla Strawberry' drops its leaves and stands as bare branches. That is when to see its shape, and to prune it if it needs pruning.

Is panicle hydrangea 'Vanilla Strawberry' good for bees and butterflies?

Panicle hydrangea 'Vanilla Strawberry' is visited by pollinators.