Hydrangea 'Preziosa'

About this cultivar:

Hydrangea 'Preziosa' is a medium-sized deciduous shrub with bronze young leaves which turn deep red in autumn. Rounded clusters of rose-pink sterile flowers, becoming reddish-purple with age, are borne in late summer and early autumn. A mophead-type hydrangea which is varyingly listed as a cultivar of H. serrata or as a cultivar of H. macrophylla or as a hybrid between the two.  Strangely enough google 'Preziosa' and you'll find it is a modern cruise-ship!

A bit kaleidoscopic for some peoples tastes, others love it! Take your pick! Won the 1993 Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit (RHS AGM).

• Position: Full sun, partial shade
• Soil: Almost any soil, grows well in Ballyrobert
• Flowers: June, July, August
• Other features: Grows well in Ballyrobert, Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit (RHS AGM)
• Hardiness: H4 - Hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5°C), Fully hardy - grows well in Ballyrobert!
• Habit: Clump forming, bushy
• Foliage: Deciduous
• Height: 120 - 180 cm (4 - 6 ft)
• Spread: 120 - 180 cm (4 - 6 ft)
• Time to full growth: 5 to 10 years
• Plant type: Herbaceous Perennial, shrub
• Colour: Green, red, pink
• Goes well with: -

About this genus:

Hydrangea (hy-dran-je-a) get its name from the Greek hydor, water, and aggeion, a vessel, or vase, in reference to the shape of the seed capsule. It is a classic garden plant. The genus Hydrangea contains about 75 species of shrubs, trees and woody vines, along with hundreds of named cultivars. Hydrangeas are grown primarily for their large flower clusters that vary in shape from flat lacecaps, to long panicles, and large, round mopheads. 

At Ballyrobert we only really grow cultivars from the species paniculata (pointed panciles of flowers) and arborescen (mopheads of flowers).  You may read lots of different things about pruning paniculata cultivars. We find the best thing to do is shear them back hard to about three feet from ground level in March (spring) each year. For the mop-headed Hydrangea arborescen cultivars we cut them back further to ground level each March. Strange, as the name (arborescen means 'tree like') would imply you leave them alone.....

Hydrangeas grow best in sun or partial shade and are not too fussy regarding soil (as long as it isn't extreme). We typically grow them in mixed borders, and in our garden at Ballyrobert we have them almost everywhere!