French hydrangea
Hydrangea macrophylla · Hydrangeaceae
French hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) is catalogued by the USDA PLANTS database. USDA records it as hardy in zone 5 and warmer, down to about -13°F.
At a glance
| Mature height | 4 ft USDA |
|---|---|
| Light | shade USDA |
| Water need | low USDA |
| Growth rate | rapid USDA |
| Soil pH | 4.5–8 USDA |
| Flower color | Blue USDA |
| Hardiness zones | 5 and warmer USDA |
| Nursery availability | Routinely Available USDA |
USDA quoted from the USDA PLANTS database · Derived computed by a fixed rule from those columns. No value on this page is estimated.
Growing conditions
It tolerates full shade. USDA rates it as having low water needs once established. Its drought tolerance is rated medium. It will not tolerate waterlogged soil — USDA rates its anaerobic tolerance as none. It is recorded on soils from pH 4.5 to 8 — a broad range that spans acidic through mildly alkaline ground. Its cold limit is zone 5.
Size and growth
At maturity it reaches about 4 ft, making it roughly waist to chest height. It grows quickly.
Foliage, flower and season
Summer foliage is green, coarse in texture. Its flowers are conspicuous. Its active growth period is spring and summer. USDA rates its lifespan as moderate.
What the site needs to provide
USDA records it across sites receiving 35 to 55 inches of annual precipitation. It needs at least 145 frost-free days to finish its season. It roots to at least 12 inches. Fertility requirement: medium.
Propagating it
Propagate it from cuttings, bare root and container stock. Seed needs cold stratification — a period of moist chilling — before it will germinate, so sow in autumn or chill it artificially before a spring sowing. It does not spread vegetatively, so it will stay where you put it.
Resilience and wildlife
Browsing animals rate it barely palatable — the sourced basis for calling it deer-resistant. Its fire tolerance is rated none, and it can resprout after damage. Its growth form is recorded as multiple stem.
Tags
Related plants
Others in Hydrangea
- oakleaf hydrangea Hydrangea quercifolia
Where this data comes from
Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol HYMA7, or is computed from those values by a fixed rule. Nothing here is estimated or model-generated. Where USDA publishes no value, this page omits the claim rather than filling the gap.
- Quoted from USDA PLANTS: active growth period, browse palatability, cold stratification, Drought tolerance, fall conspicuous, fertility requirement, fire tolerance, Flower color, flower conspicuous, foliage color, foliage porosity winter, foliage texture, frost free days min, fruit conspicuous, growth form, Growth rate, Hardiness zones, lifespan, Light, Mature height, Minimum temperature, Nitrogen fixation, Nursery availability, precipitation max in, precipitation min in, propagation, resprout ability, root depth in, Soil pH, Soil pH (upper), Tolerance of wet soil, Toxicity, vegetative spread rate, Water need.
Read our full data sources and methodology.
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