Wee Bit Grumpy® Bigleaf Hydrangea
Shrub
- Vivid, saturated flower color that ranges from purple to pink.
- Disease-resistant bigleaf hydrangea!
- Low maintenance - no pruning needed.
- Glossy foliage looks great all season.
- Zones 5-9, sun/part sun, 2′ tall x 2.5' wide at maturity.
ZONE
EXPOSURE
HEIGHT
Description
Details
Common Name: Bigleaf hydrangea, Mophead hydrangea, Florist's hydrangea, Hortensia
Zone: 5-9
Sun Exposure: Sun in cool areas; part shade in warm climates.
Height x Width: 2' tall x 2.5' wide
Flower Color: White with purple or white with pink
Foliage Color: Green
Season of Interest: Summer
Bloom time: Summer
Features: Space savers, Proven Winners, heat tolerant, container plants, best sellers, best for beginners
Uses: Flower gardens, landscaping, specimen, flowering hedge
Notes on flower color: The flowers of bigleaf hydrangeas can vary from pink to purple to blue, depending on soil chemistry. You must have both an acidic soil and the presence of aluminum (a naturally occurring soil element) in order for blue/purple color to develop. Get a soil test from your local Cooperative Extension before applying any color change treatment to be certain that it will be effective.
How to Grow
Light: Plants can take full sun (6+ hrs/day) in cooler areas, but afternoon shade is recommended in warm climates. If your plant frequently wilts in the afternoon even though it was recently watered, that may indicate the spot is too sunny for it.
Water: Average to abundant (as long as soil is well drained).
Spacing: min. 3' apart
Fertilizing: Fertilize in early spring, once the ground has thawed, with a granular rose fertilizer. Make an additional application in late spring/early summer if desired.
Winterizing: Do not cut plants back for winter! Doing so will cut off all of the flower buds for the following season. If plants show a lot of dieback in spring, consider moving them, as this indicates the spot may be too cold for the plant.
Maintenance & Pruning: Bloom on old wood, which means they have their flower buds for the following season all through winter, so they should not be cut back. It is best to avoid pruning bigleaf hydrangeas altogether. Any dead wood can be pruned out in early spring, once the new growth has begun to emerge and its clear where any winter damage occurred. However, hydrangeas should not be trimmed or pruned regularly. If plants do not flower reliably, move them to a more protected spot in your yard; early spring is an excellent time to do that.
Plant spacing is based on the ultimate width of the plants. This figure is normally given as a range; for example, 3-5’. If you live in a cold climate and/or want plants to fill in more quickly, plan to space at the shorter end of the range. If you live in a warm climate, are on a limited budget, or are willing to wait longer for plants to touch, use the higher end of the range. Using the larger number is recommended when calculating distance from a building or structure. There’s really no such thing as "maximum spacing": if you don’t want your plants to touch, you can space them as far apart as you’d like. All plant spacing is calculated on center, or in other words, the centers of the plants are spaced one half of their eventual width apart:
Unless you are planting in a straight line, as you might for hedges or edging, space your plants in a staggered or zig-zag pattern for a more interesting and naturalistic look:
Not sure just how many plants will fit in your garden? Our calculator gives you the exact amount of plants required for your space. Simply update the values and the calculator will re-calculate accordingly. Spacing information can be found in the 'How to Grow' tab on each plant's page.
Um eager to see how this Wee Bit Grumpy overwinter gets and then I’ll update my review. The plant arrived in great condition, a small, sturdy specimen. It seems happy in its new spot with new shoots emerging. Fingers crossed!
I just purchased this season and only 1 of the 3 bloomed. Need help. Also all my bee balm died. I’ve had success with other things I’ve purchased. So not sure what to do to resolve this issue. Even pulled out bee balm in put in a pot to try and save them
We're sorry you're having trouble with your plants! It’s surprisingly normal for newly transplanted plants to appear like they aren’t growing. That’s because most of the growth occurs below ground in their first year as they allocate more energy to root development. Once your plant is established, it will start investing more in shoot and flower development. To learn more about how plants “sleep, creep, and leap”, read our FAQ here: https://bit.ly/FAQ-plant-growth. Our team of horticulture experts would love to take a closer look. Please contact [email protected] with your order number and photos of the plants, and we would be more than happy to assist you! We look forward to helping! https://bit.ly/ggp-guarantee
They came in looking good and packaged very well. But after a week or so they started to wilt and die. I did exactly what the directions said. But unfortunately it died.
Hello! Thank you for your feedback. We're sorry to hear that you're having trouble with your hydrangea. Please email your photos to [email protected], making sure to put your order number and name in the subject line so that we may provide the best assistance possible. Rest assured, we do have a 60 day guarantee on all of our plants. If you received your plants within that timeframe, we will be happy to apply your warranty once we receive the pictures. Happy Gardening!
It shipped quickly and arrived in great form. It was bright green and healthy when I opened the packaging.
This hydrangea did not survive winter. It should have. I’m very disappointed and would like a replacement.
We’re sorry you’re having trouble with your plants! Our fall guarantee covers plants received after September 1 until May 2026, so we have you covered. Please send your order number and pictures of your plants to [email protected] to start the claims process. We look forward to helping! https://bit.ly/ggp-guarantee
This has been in the ground for a week now and has blooms starting to open. I will need to make the soil more acidic though as the flowers are bright pink.
So bummed that two of three did not make it over the winter. The third one died back and is trying to come back with one shoot. Very disappointed.
We’re sorry you’re having trouble with your plants! Our fall guarantee covers plants received after September 1 until May 2026, so we have you covered. Please send your order number and pictures of your plants to [email protected] to start the claims process. We look forward to helping! https://bit.ly/ggp-guarantee
I have a brown thumb! I feel with its name, I will have better luck.
The 6 Wee Bit Grumpy Hydrangeas I purchased this Fall were full & beautiful! They were very healthy plants. I planted them right away in loamy soil, supplemented by a quality bagged soil additive & they never missed a beat. They will be beautiful until first hard freeze.
Found these for my beautiful bride. How ironic they are named "Wee Bit Grumpy".
Maybe she won't be now.
Excellent packing, beautiful plants, robust root system. Great product for fair price.
I'm happy.
My plant arrived very healthy. I put it in dappled sunlight for a week before planting it in the ground using acid loving soil. It’s thriving!
Plants arrived in remarkedly good condition. They are thriving. Hope to see blooms!
My plants arrived very quickly and were well prepared for shipping. Due to transplant “shock” the leaves dropped off but were quickly followed by mew griwth. I cannot wait to see them bloom! As always, the experts at Great Garden Plants were amazing !
The plant came quickly, well packaged and in great shape!
Arrived in good shape.
One is very fresh but one looks like it's dying
They look great
Came with dirt everywhere & plant dried out. Trying to nurse it back to health.
Hello! We’re sorry that you received plants that are not up to our standards. We try our best to provide excellent plants, but some factors, like shipping and handling, are outside our control. That’s why we have a 60-day guarantee on all of our orders. Please email us your order number and pictures of your plants to start the claims process. We look forward to helping!
Very healthy plants.
3 out of the 7 hydrangeas are nearly dead after planting. I planted them the same day they arrived, and have been routinely watering them to help them get established.
We're sorry you're having trouble with your plants. We do recommend placing your newly arrived plants in a shaded spot out of direct sunlight for 24-48 hours before planting them in their final destinations. This time allows the plants to recover and acclimate before planting. Our friendly customer service team would love to hear more from you. Please contact us with your order number and photos of the plants so we may best assist you. All orders are covered by our 60-day guarantee. We look forward to helping!
Great little plant.
Will see how well it does
Nice and healthy can't wait to get it in the ground thank you
Much smaller than I thought it would be…..hopefully next spring it will thrive!
Doesn't look like it's going to live after I paid all this money for it
Hello! We're sorry to hear you're having trouble with your plants. Please email pictures of the plants to [email protected], making sure to put your order number and name in the subject line so that we may provide the best assistance possible. Rest assured, we have a 60-day guarantee on all our plants. If you received your plants within that timeframe, we would be happy to apply your warranty once we receive the pictures. Happy Gardening!
https://www.greatgardenplants.com/pages/our-guarantee
My Wee Bit Grumpy is not doing well. The other ones I received are looking great. Sad that the Hydrangea is not rfairing well.
They looked a lil grumpy when they got here but i followed the directions and gave them some deep waterings and they seemed to perk right up.
I planted this Wee Bit Grumpy in early spring - zone 7b. It gets dappled shade and some direct/hot sun here. It is on a drip line and it is doing BEAUTIFULLY. Blooming already, even though I got the quart size. Plant came perfectly wrapped and in great condition
I have ordered here A LOT and it is imperative that plants be unwrapped and watered and left outside a bit to acclimate. They're stressed from the packing/travel/delivery chaos. Every time I do that - my plants are 100% successful.