New Trees and Shrubs for 2016

The 2016 crop of new trees and shrubs offers stylish, colorful alternatives for your next garden makeover.

Hydrangea 'Fuchsia Glow'

'Fuchsia Glow' will brighten dim corners of the landscape with a continuous supply of vibrant, fuchsia pink flowers that live up to their name. This reblooming variety features a compact, mounded habit and would look best massed together for boldest effect.

Plant Name: Hydrangea macrophylla 'Fuchsia Glow'

Growing Conditions: part shade and shade

Size: 3 feet tall and wide

Zone: 4-8

Seasons of Interest: spring, summer, and fall

Image: Garden Debut

Abelia 'Sweet Emotion'

Once you catch a whiff of 'Sweet Emotion' in bloom, you'll be glad you planted it. Clusters of pink-budded white flowers open in late spring and early summer and emit a unique spicy-sweet fragrance. Glossy green foliage, unbothered by deer, gives way to rich orange tones in autumn. 'Sweet Emotion' is a landscape superstar, growing in zones much colder than most abelias while thriving in heat and humidity like its warmer-blooded relatives.

Plant Name: Abelia mosanensis 'Sweet Emotion'

Growing Conditions: full sun to part shade

Size: 6 feet tall and 5 feet wide

Zone: 4-8

Seasons of Interest: spring, summer, and fall

Image: Proven Winners

Rosa 'Magical Bullet'

Breeders usually only emphasize the beautiful flowers of roses, but now a new series focuses on their fruits. 'Magical Bullet' is a bushy variety with long stems that end in hundreds of berrylike red hips. Perfect for decorating or floral arranging, 'Magical Bullet' also makes a great landscape plant, adding late-season interest in contrast to autumn leaves and fall flowers like asters and goldenrods.

Plant Name: Rosa 'Magical Bullet'

Growing Conditions: full sun

Size: 4 feet tall and wide

Zone: 4-9

Season of Interest: fall

Image: Plants Nouveau

Cotinus 'Old Fashioned'

You'll want to grow 'Old Fashioned' smokebush for its outstanding foliage in three seasons. In spring, new leaves are blushed with red and mature to blue-gray by early summer. In fall, the whole shrub turns blazing shades of violet and red, glowing from across the landscape. You can train 'Old Fashioned' into a shrub or tree depending on how big you want it to get. The best part -- deer don't like it.

Plant Name: Cotinus coggygria 'Old Fashioned'

Growing Conditions: full sun

Size: 6 feet tall and 5 feet wide

Zone: 5-9

Seasons of Interest: spring, summer, and fall

Image: UpShoot

Lagerstroemia 'Ruffled Red Magic'

If you ever dreamed of a crape myrtle that looked like a carnation, look no further. 'Ruffled Red Magic' sports frilly, luscious red blooms with gold centers. Its upright habit and dense branching ensures a heavy display of flowers at least twice a season, if deadheaded. Many red-flowered crape myrtles suffer from a variety of foliar diseases, but 'Ruffled Red Magic' doesn't. That clean, shiny foliage lasts all season to finally turn bright orange in autumn.

Plant Name: Lagerstroemia 'Ruffled Red Magic'

Growing Conditions: full sun

Size: 12 feet tall and 8 feet wide

Zone: 6-9

Seasons of Interest: summer and fall

Image: Bailey Nurseries

Rosa 'Artful Anna'

'Artful Anna' rose is a low-maintenance shrub with blazing yellow blooms. The flowers don't fade, holding their color until petal drop, instead of fading like so many other varieties. Vigorous and cold-hardy, 'Artful Anna' adds a punch of color to perennial borders or makes a unique hedge along a fence or pathway.

Plant Name: Rosa 'Artful Anna'

Growing Conditions: full sun

Size: 4 feet tall and wide

Zone: 5-9

Seasons of Interest: summer and fall

Image: HGTV Home Collection

Buddleia 'Wisteria Lane'

This groundbreaking butterfly bush weeps and cascades with long, purple-blue panicles of flowers that resemble wisterias. While it's a fine addition to the open landscape, it excels in containers where the flowers can spill over for dramatic effect. Pot these up on your patio for a classic, butterfly-attracting plant that will stir conversation at your next barbecue. Keep 'Wisteria Lane' well-watered if grown in a container.

Plant Name: Buddleia 'Wisteria Lane'

Growing Conditions: full sun

Size: 4 feet tall and wide

Zone: 7-9

Season of Interest: summer

Image: Cultivaris

Callicarpa 'Purple Pearls'

You already love beautyberry for its amazing purple berries every autumn, so why not grow one with purple foliage, too? Colored in shades of purple and black, 'Purple Pearls' sports distinctive leaves all season, accented by fizzy pink flowers during midsummer. Compared to other varieties its vigorous and upright, space-saving habit make it a top-notch new shrub for your next garden project. It also makes a great cut stem in fall arrangements.

Plant Name: Callicarpa 'Purple Pearls'

Growing Conditions: full sun

Size: 5 feet tall and 4 feet wide

Seasons of Interest: summer and fall

Image: Proven Winners

Syringa 'Pink Perfume'

'Pink Perfume' is the latest addition to the Bloomerang series of reblooming lilacs. Its showy pink, tubular flowers effuse classic lilac aromas from spring through fall, blooming continuously regardless of heat or humidity. 'Pink Perfume' pairs beautifully with other shrubs like bluebeard and buddleia to form an all-season shrub border brimming with flowers, exciting foliage, and butterflies.

Plant Name: Syringa 'Pink Perfume'

Growing Conditions: full sun

Size: 5 feet tall and 4 feet wide

Zone: 3-7

Seasons of Interest: spring, summer, and fall

Image: Proven Winners

Hydrangea 'Invincibelle Spirit II'

The second generation of pink Annabelle-type hydrangeas have made substantial improvements on the original. 'Invincibelle Spirit II' features more intensely colored bright pink flowers on stiffer stems. It also reblooms on new wood, guaranteeing a longer, steadier parade of flowers throughout summer until frost. As with 'Invincibelle Spirit', $1 from every sale goes to the Breast Cancer Research Center.

Plant Name: Hydrangea arborescens 'Invincibelle Spirit II'

Growing Conditions: part sun to shade

Size: 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide

Zone: 3-9

Seasons of Interest: summer and fall

Image: Proven Winners

Vitex 'Blue Puffball'

Now you can grow fall-flowering chaste flower on your deck. 'Blue Puffball' sizes down this familiar Southern shrub without losing any of the charm. Maturing with rounded form, this vitex offers fragrant purple flowers regardless of how hot or humid summer gets. Deadhead after each flowering for a constant parade of purple-blue blooms.

Plant Name: Vitex agnus-castus 'PIIVAC-Il'

Growing Conditions: full sun

Size: 5 feet tall and 4 feet wide

Seasons of Interest: summer and fall

Image: Bailey Nurseries

Nandina 'Lemon Lime'

'Lemon Lime' is the first heavenly bamboo that emerges with chartreuse leaves in spring. Whether in sunny hedges in the front yard or shaded corners in the backyard, 'Lemon Lime' jazzes up the garden scene with electric foliage that complements other shrubs and perennials. Avoid waterlogged soils for best success.

Plant Name: Nandina domestica 'Lemon Lime'

Growing Conditions: full sun to part shade

Size: 3 feet tall and 4 feet wide

Zone: 6-9

Seasons of Interest: spring, summer, and fall

Image: Plants Nouveau

Prunus 'Pink Cascade'

You'll swoon over the long, cascading branches of this brand-new weeping cherry when bright pink flowers smother it in midspring. This delicate new tree won't get so big that gardeners with small landscapes can't enjoy its ephemeral, springtime beauty. After the show ends, rich green leaves enshroud the tree's elegant architecture for a sculptural effect. 'Pink Cascade' quickly grows to its ultimate height in just a few growing seasons.

Plant Name: Prunus 'Pink Cascade'

Growing Conditions: full sun

Size: 12 feet tall and wide

Zone: 5-8

Season of Interest: spring

Image: J. Frank Schmidt

Buddleia 'Miss Violet'

'Miss Violet' is the latest blockbuster butterfly bush from a series of recent introductions focused on compact habits and vibrant colors. Bold purple panicles appear in midsummer and flower for weeks, attracting butterflies and other pollinators. As a container specimen, it's an easy-to-grow thriller for a colorful deck or patio arrangement. In the open garden, its dwarf shape combines well with many perennials and bedding plants.

Plant Name: Buddleia 'Miss Violet'

Growing Conditions: full sun

Size: 4 feet tall and wide

Zone: 5-9

Season of Interest: summer

Image: Proven Winners

Hamelia 'Lime Sizzler'

'Lime Sizzler' is an exclamation-point shrub for its brashly variegated foliage and bright red flowers. Gardeners in climates north of Zone 9 can enjoy this hot new plant in containers, where it will only get about half the size as it does in the landscape. As deer- and drought-resistant firebushes go, it's more upright, spreading to 5 feet wide and tall in the landscape.

Plant Name: Hamelia patens 'Grelmsiz'

Growing Conditions: full sun to part shade

Size: 5 feet tall and wide

Zone: 9-11

Seasons of Interest: spring, summer, and fall

Image: Garden Debut

Diervilla 'Kodiak Orange'

Bush honeysuckles deliver multiple seasons of interest as hardworking shrubs for functional areas of the landscape. 'Kodiak Orange' makes a great garden companion to 'Kodiak Black', its black-leaf cousin. Deer-resistant, cold-hardy, and drought-tolerant, 'Kodiak Orange' thrives in dry shade where few other shrubs will. Orange and red hues present in the leaves throughout the growing season intensify as days get shorter and cooler in autumn. This native plant attracts butterflies and other pollinators.

Plant Name: Diervilla rivularis 'SMNDRSF'

Growing Conditions: part sun to shade

Size: 3 feet tall and 4 feet wide

Zone: 4-7

Seasons of Interest: spring, summer, and fall

Image: Proven Winners

Weigela 'Tuxedo'

'Tuxedo' puts a formal twist on all the weigela varieties introduced in recent years. Near-black foliage is complemented by crisp white flowers for a touch of classic elegance in your shrub collection. Its compact shape makes 'Tuxedo' an easy choice for the front-yard garden or in containers on the deck or patio. It also exhibits a tendency to rebloom, flowering from late spring throughout summer and occasionally in fall.

Plant Name: Weigela 'Tuxedo'

Growing Conditions: full sun

Size: 3 feet tall and 4 feet wide

Zone: 4-8

Seasons of Interest: spring, summer, and fall

Image: Van Belle Nursery

Distylium 'Blue Cascade'

'Blue Cascade' distylium is a creative substitute for hollies, laurels, and traditional foundation plants because of its compact, evergreen habit. Unique blue-green leaves with matte finish cover cascading, layered branches that sport small red flowers during winter. 'Blue Cascade' isn't picky about where it grows. In wet or dry soils, this disease- and insect-resistant shrub is a winner for new landscaping projects.

Plant Name: Distylium 'Blue Cascade'

Growing Conditions: full sun and part shade

Size: 4 feet tall and wide

Zone: 6-9

Seasons of Interest: winter and spring

Image: Gardeners Confidence Collection

Ilex 'Gem Box'

'Gem Box' is a new cultivar of inkberry holly, a native boxwood alternative. Perfect for low hedges or even in containers, 'Gem Box' features lustrous evergreen foliage that covers low, mounded branches to ground level. Like most hollies, this petite shrub is resistant to deer. Prune to shape in late winter and apply an evergreen fertilizer after new growth appears in spring.

Plant Name: Ilex glabra 'Gem Box'

Growing Conditions: full sun to part shade

Size: 3 feet tall and wide

Zone: 5-9

Seasons of Interest: spring, summer, fall, and winter

Image: Proven Winners

Rosa 'Magical Gold'

'Magical Gold' is another variety in a new series of roses bred exclusively for highly ornamental fruits. In contrast to others in the series, 'Magical Gold' has small, golden-orange hips. Hundreds of hips populate the many branches of this bushy variety. It's perfect for decorating or floral arranging but also very effective in the landscape with other reblooming roses, warm-season grasses, and beautyberries.

Plant Name: Rosa 'Magical Gold'

Growing Conditions: full sun

Size: 4 feet tall and wide

Zone: 4-9

Season of Interest: fall

Image: Plants Nouveau

Cephalotaxus 'Hedgehog'

This deer-resistant dwarf conifer makes a great replacement for traditional hedges like boxwoods and yews. 'Hedgehog' grows best in shady conditions, making it the perfect foundation plant for the north side of the house. Long, green needles coat low, spreading branches that remain dense and full throughout the year.

Plant Name: Cephalotaxus harringtonia 'Hedgehog'

Growing Conditions: part sun to full shade

Size: 3 feet tall and 4 feet wide

Zone: 6-9

Seasons of Interest: spring, summer, fall, and winter

Image: Iseli Nursery

Diervilla 'Kodiak Black'

Bush honeysuckles deliver multiple seasons of interest as hardworking shrubs for functional areas of the landscape. Breeders have finally given these native plants a makeover with varieties like 'Kodiak Black' showcasing shiny black leaves in both spring and fall. Deer-resistant, cold-hardy, and drought-tolerant, 'Kodiak Black' is an amazing new alternative to invasive shrubs like barberry and burning bush. While the foliage steals the show, yellow flowers sparkle at the ends of each stem all summer.

Plant Name: Diervilla rivularis 'SMNDRSF'

Growing Conditions: part sun to shade

Size: 3 feet tall and 4 feet wide

Zone: 4-7

Seasons of Interest: spring, summer, and fall

Image: Proven Winners

Fatsia 'Camouflage'

'Camouflage' is a new, subtropical shrub from Monrovia's Dan Hinkley Collection. Each leaf of this texturally unique plant possesses an exquisite pattern in shades of jade and lime green and can reach almost 10 inches across. Perfect for shady beds and borders, 'Camouflage' is a focal-point shrub with a dramatic personality.

Plant Name: Fatsia japonica 'Camouflage'

Growing Conditions: part shade and shade

Size: 6 feet tall and 5 feet wide

Zone: 7-10

Seasons of Interest: summer and fall

Image: Monrovia

Acer 'North Wind'

'North Wind' is a unique hybrid from a new line of maples that combines the colors of Japanese maples with the cold hardiness of Korean maples. In spring, the new leaves open red, aging to green by midsummer. In autumn, the tree turns a dramatic blend of scarlet and orange, making it an excellent substitute for Japanese maple in colder climates. With its rapid growth, 'North Wind' will quickly establish to become a focal point in your garden.

Plant Name: Acer 'North Wind'

Growing Conditions: full sun

Size: 20 feet tall and 15 feet wide

Zone: 4-8

Seasons of Interest: spring, summer, and fall

Image: Iseli Nursery

Picea 'Firefly'

'Firefly' makes a classy, geometric focal point in the garden. This new dwarf conifer is a flickering pyramid of compact, brilliant yellow needles in spring that age to gold as the season progresses. 'Firefly' grows slowly at only 3-6 inches per year, making it the perfect new specimen to add to an existing garden without the worry of it outgrowing its spot.

Plant Name: Picea orientalis 'Firefly'

Growing Conditions: full sun

Size: 6 feet tall and 4 feet wide

Zone: 4-8

Seasons of Interest: winter, spring, summer, and fall

Image: Iseli Nursery

Source: http://www.bhg.com/gardening/gardening-trends/new-trees--shrubs-for-2016-281474979468643/

Winterizing Trees & Shrubs

Most shrubs and trees require no special preparation for winter, aside from making sure they are watered and old flower heads are removed.

Trees with smooth bark will benefit from tree wrap. Starting at the base of the tree, wrap the trunk to the lowest branch, overlapping each layer by 1/3. Secure at the top with duct tape or twine. Remove the tree wrap by the end of April.

Broadleaf evergreens, such as Holly and Rhododendron, can be sprayed with Wilt Pruf to prevent dissecation. Apply late in the season while temperatures are still above 40 degrees Fahrenheit. You can reapply mid-winter if there is a brief warm spell. Wilt Pruf can also by sprayed on any plant, with or without leaves, that is in a very windy location. Use with caution on plants with very fine needles (Hemlock, Arborvitae, Juniper); follow the product’s instructions on the label.

Plants sensitive to wind or sunburn can also be wrapped with burlap. Wrap in late fall and secure with twine or staples. Burlap can also be used to protect plants from deer and rabbits.

A-frame shrub protectors can be placed over plants that are under the drip line of your roof to protect them from snow or ice damage. They will also provide some protection from wind and sun.

Spray-on deer and rabbit repellants can be applied mid- to late fall. Follow the product’s instructions on the label for effective coverage.

A small group of shrubs require special winter care: Buddleia (Butterfly Bush), Caryopteris, Vitex (Chaste Tree), Scotch Broom, Big Leaf Hydrangeas (pink or blue flowering varieties). After the leaves have fallen from these plants, apply 12–18” at this time. Caryopteris, Scotch Broom and Hydrangeas can be cut back to green growth in the spring. The mulch should be removed in spring as the temperature warms.

The following plants are slow to start growing in the spring, so a little patience is required: Butterfly Bush, Caryopteris, Chaste Tree, Ornamental Grasses, Hardy Hibiscus.

The 13 Best Summer-Blooming Shrubs

Add beautiful blooms without a lot of maintenance to your garden this summer with easy-growing, summer-blooming shrubs. Here are some of the best.

Bluebeard Shrub

Bluebeard Shrub
This shrub is a treat in late summer when it bears its airy clusters of beautiful blue blooms. It's extra-easy to grow, too, laughing off all but the worst heat and drought. As an added bonus, birds and butterflies love it. Bluebeard shrub makes a great cut flower, too.

Name: Caryopteris varieties
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 4 feet tall
Zones: 5-9

Butterfly Bush

Butterfly Bush

Butterfly bush is like a summer-flowering lilac. The blooms appear in similar colors -- purple, lavender, blue, pink, and white -- and are deliciously fragrant. Happily, butterfly bushes offer a longer bloom season than lilacs: from summer into autumn, especially if you pinch off the old flower clusters as they start to fade.

Name: Buddleia davidii
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 10 feet tall or more
Zones: 5-9

Carolina Allspice

Carolina Allspice
This underused gem offers beautiful deep red flowers in summer. These flowers have a powerful, spicy fragrance you can enjoy throughout the yard. It's also a tough, low-care plant native to areas of North America.

Name: Calycanthus floridus
Growing Conditions: Full sun or partial shade and well-drained soil
Size: To 8 feet tall
Zones: 5-9

Hydrangea Paniculata

Hydrangea Paniculata
Hydrangea paniculata is the easiest hydrangea to grow. In late summer and autumn, this rugged shrub produces fluffy clusters of white flowers that fade to shades of pink and green. Many cultivars, such as 'Tardiva', can be successfully trained into a standard, or miniature tree form -- perfect for a large container or just about any landscape spot.

Name: Hydrangea paniculata
Growing Conditions: Full sun or part shade and well-drained soil
Size: To 10 feet tall and wide
Zones: 4-8

Oleander

Oleander

An exceptionally easy-care subtropical shrub, oleander offers summertime flowers in shades of pink, red, purple, lilac, yellow, and white. In fact, it's so foolproof that in many areas it's grown along the sides of highways in warm-weather areas. Note, though: Oleander is extremely poisonous.
Name: Nerium oleander
Size: To 10 feet tall, depending on species
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Zones: 10-11

Potentilla 

Potentilla is one of the most common, and easiest shrubs to grow. It starts blooming in late spring and continues through autumn, bearing cheery yellow, orange, red, or white flowers that look like single roses (which attract butterflies). It has attractively divided foliage.

Name: Potentilla fruticosa
Size: To 3 feet tall
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Zones: 3-7

Reblooming Hydrangea

Reblooming Hydrangea

While most big leaf hydrangeas flower on branches from the last year (making them susceptible to injury from spring frosts or especially cold winter temperatures), reblooming varieties such as 'Endless Summer' produce flowers on fresh growth. This ensures lots of blooms throughout the summer.

Name: Hydrangea macrophylla varieties
Growing conditions: Part shade and moist, but well-drained soil
Size: To 5 feet tall
Zones: 5-9

Rock Rose

Rock Rose
Rock roses are easy to grow because they tolerate drought so well. They're beautiful, too, producing colorful roselike flowers throughout the summer. And they bloom in a wide range of colors, from pink to purple, lavender, and white.

Name: Cistus varieties
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 5 feet tall
Zones: 8-10

Rose of Sharon

Rose of Sharon
You can rely on rose of Sharon to provide lots of color during the hottest months. From midsummer to early autumn, the shrub erupts in tropical-looking blooms in shades of pink, lavender-blue, and white. Tip: When shopping for rose of Sharon, look for sterile varieties, such as 'Minerva', that won't fill your gardenwith a ton of weedy seedlings.

Name: Hibiscus syriacus
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 10 feet tall and wide
Zones: 5-9

Shrub Rose

Shrub Rose

Not all roses are finicky, high-maintenance plants. Modern shrub roses offer beautiful blooms all summer and autumn on disease-resistant, easy-growing plants. Flower color differs by variety, but you'll most commonly see shrub roses in shades of pink, red, white, and yellow. Tip: Even modern shrub roses have thorns, so plant them away from sidewalks and pathways.

Name: Rose varieties
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 6 feet tall and wide, depending on type
Zones: 3-9, depending on type

Smoke Bush

Smoke Bush 
Smoke bush creates a dramatic shot of color in the landscape, but not because of its pink plumes in summer. It's the foliage that's really spectacular: Most common types have dark purple leaves that erupt into colorful shades of yellow, orange, and red in fall.

Name: Cotinus coggygria
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 12 feet tall
Zones: 5-8

Spirea

Spirea
There's a good reason spirea is a common sight in city plantings, at restaurants and even gas stations: It's a no-brainer to grow. And spirea is beautiful; in midsummer, it produces clusters of raspberry-rose flowers. Many varieties, such as 'Goldmound', also offer attractive golden or lime-green foliage.

Name: Spiraea japonica
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 4 feet tall
Zones: 4-9

Summersweet

Summersweet

We like summersweet because it blooms in shady spots. We also love that its pink or white flowers have a wonderful fragrance. Add its golden fall leaf color and you have an ideal shrub. Note: Look for cultivars, such as 'Ruby Spice', that offer an extra-long bloom season.

Name: Clethra alnifolia
Growing Conditions: Part to full shade and moist soil
Size: To 5 feet tall
Zones: 3-9

Source: http://www.bhg.com/gardening/trees-shrubs-vines/shrubs/summer-blooming-shrubs/#page=1

Hydrangea Care

Growth: Hydrangeas are relatively non-finicky plants. They will grow in a multitude of soil conditions including clay, stony or sandy that are either alkaline or acidic. Naturally, hydrangeas are found in either full sun or in dappled shade provided by deciduous trees. Deep shade, like that provided by dense evergreens, tends to lead to unthrifty plants. It should be noted that hydrangeas require ample moisture and will perform poorly if it is not provided in either condition. Scorch is not an uncommon problem for plants in a sunny, dry position.

Flowering: A summer-flowering plant, the flower heads usually consist of a mix of sterile and non-sterile flowers. Most flowers change color when they age. The sterile flowers don’t fade and go to seed, which is the reason for their long blossoming time. Flower color for macrophylla and serrata hydrangea types tend to be influenced by soil acidity.

Feeding: It is beneficial for hydrangeas to receive a spring feeding with a balanced fertilizer high in nitrogen and a top dressing of compost. When adjusting pH to influence bloom color towards blue, use a fertilizer high in nitrogen and potash, and low in phosphates. Avoid superphosphates as they tend towards alkalinity. Gar- den sulfur is one of the best additives for increasing soil acidity. 

When adjusting pH to influence bloom color towards pink/red, use a fertilizer with high phosphorus. Dolomite lime is one of the best additives for decreasing soil acidity. For the above pH adjustments, apply 1/3 of the annual amount 3x a year so as not to burn the roots. Be persistent; it may take up to 3 years for a hydrangea to settle into its permanent color.

Pruning: As a group, hydrangeas are unique in that the best time to prune them is during winter. Each group has slightly different requirements, but in general remove dead and diseased branches, thin weak stems and reduce the height as desired. Selective pruning has the added benefit of increasing the quality and size of the flowers.

*In the fall, after the plants have gone dormant, certain varieties require 12 inches of mulch

for winter protection directly over the center of the plant. Most of these varieties are found in the macrophylla and serrata families. Ask your nursery professional for further

assistance. 

Disease and pests: Hydrangeas are relatively pest-free. Slugs and snails may occasionally bother the macrophylla types; control with slug bait. Mildew could be a problem in wet, humid summers; apply a fungicide to control it.