Let's Dance® Rhythmic Blue® Bigleaf Hydrangea
Shrub
- Bright blue or pink depending on your soil ph!
- Stress free, low maintenance hydrangea.
- Compact hydrangea, perfect for flower gardens.
- Long blooming, looks great all season long.
- Zones 5-9, sun/part sun, 4' tall x 4' wide at maturity.
ZONE
EXPOSURE
HEIGHT
Description
Details
Patent #: PP 25,836
Common name: Reblooming hydrangea, Bigleaf hydrangea, Mophead hydrangea, Florist's hydrangea, Hortensia
Zone: 5-9
Sun exposure: Sun (6+ Hours) in cool areas; Part Sun (4-6 Hours) in warm climates.
Height x width: 3-4' tall and wide
Flower color: True-blue or pink with a white center, depending on conditions (see How to Grow for more info)
Foliage color: Glossy green
Bloom Season: Summer-fall
Bloom time: Summer, fall
Features: Proven Winners, heat tolerant, best for beginners
Uses: Flower gardens, landscaping, specimen, cut flowers
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).
Space: 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 to boost reblooming ability, particularly in colder areas.
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: Even though Let's Dance hydrangeas are reblooming and capable of flowering on old and new wood, for best bloom, it is best to avoid pruning, trimming, or cutting them back. Any dead wood can be pruned out in early spring, once the new growth has begun to emerge, and it's clear where any winter damage occurred. 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. For best reblooming performance, keep plants free of stress so they grow vigorously. New growth is key to a good rebloom!
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.
I bought 6 of these as 1 quart size on March 26, 2021. They arrived around 4/6. I unpacked them right away but couldn’t plant them for about 2 weeks. I did water them them in a nice spot until I could get to them. I planted them with compost and fertilizer. I also set up a sprinkler with a timer to water them every morning at 5am. They were super tiny little things, but after 6 months they are all thriving and have grown about 4-5xs their size. It’s amazing to see how well they have performed and I can’t wait to see them come back in the spring. I also just bought 5 more to plant before the first frost - making a hydrangea headgear now and I can’t wait to see it grow. Very very happy with my purchase!!!
Photos of the plants after just 6 months!
Thought the prices were great until the plants arrived. Everything was exceptionally small. My hydrangeas are struggling in this hot dry weather, despite being watered regularly. Not sure they’re going to make it through the summer. Too fragile because they’re too immature.
So wonderful and gorgeous can’t wait to plan them
I am very pleased with these little plants. They have settled in nicely and have grown. They arrived in excellent condition and well packed.
Ordered a fairly expensive amount of these and other varieties and they are just too small. Nursed them over the summer without success. I’d recommend a larger specimen from a local store. Very disappointed overall.
We’re sorry you’re not satisfied with your plants! As noted in our previous responses, on each product page and our plant sizes page, we note that all of our plants are young. All orders are covered by our 60-day guarantee, so please reach out to [email protected] to start the claims process if necessary.
Ordered a fairly expensive amount of these and other varieties and they are just too small. Nursed them over the summer without success. I’d recommend a larger specimen from a local store. Very disappointed overall.
We’re sorry you’re not satisfied with your plants! On each product page and our plant sizes page, we note that all of our plants are young. The size of our plants varies depending on the time of year and whether they were recently trimmed. The most important thing when purchasing plants, online or in garden centers, is a full and robust root system, which we prioritize. Trimming only encourages stronger root development! All orders are covered by our 60-day guarantee, so please reach out to [email protected] to start the claims process if necessary.
Wonderful plants, I have 2...they are growing nicely...I can't wait to plant them...
Thank you
These guys arrived small and in really nice condition. I didn't get to plant them right away but kept them out of direct sun and watered and they did fine. Planted them in a narrow bed around my bay window. They didn't do so well over the summer but I was hand-watering and other, better established hydrangeas in this area did fine. Even still, they tried to crank out the blooms - I got 3-4 blooms on tiny plants and they kept trying to put out new leaves. All plants survived the heat and a major freeze. This is a north facing bed but we just had a record hot summer so I'm hoping for them improve this year with better established root growth.
The hydrangea seems to be doing fine, but all four lavender plants died. Some things are probably better bought local...
My plant’s came packed very good, they were good looking plants. I had ordered several different kinds of Hydrangea’s. These 2 died about after a week or so. I would like to try them again, I hope they make it right.
Hello! We're sorry to hear about your hydrangeas. Please email pictures of any plant(s) in question 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!
I have been shocked at how fragile these plants are. During heat waves I have had to water them twice a day and they still fried.
Hello Jan! Most varieties tolerate full sun in the North, but benefit from afternoon shade. We recommend that if growing in full sun only if grown with consistent moisture. These plants are intolerant of drought, with foliage tending to decline considerably in dry conditions.
Will blue hydrangeas bloom in mostly shady area?
As long as the hydrangea gets 4-6 hours of sun a day it should be happy and produce beautiful, bright blooms summer through fall!
When order is placed for Let's Dance Hydrangea, when should my plant arrive? If shipped to zone 5b, I don't how I will know in the 60 day guarantee window that is good to go. I plant in the fall and in 60 days we could have snow. Should I order in the Spring?
Plants ordered after September 1 are covered by our fall guarantee, which means they're covered through the winter until May 31! To learn more about our guarantee, see our page here: https://www.greatgardenplants.com/pages/our-guarantee
What is size of flowers?
The size of the inflorescences varies, but they average to be about 5 inches in diameter!
What is the best hydrangea variety for full sun?
It depends on your location - generally speaking, panicle hydrangeas (https://www.greatgardenplants.com/search?q=panicle+hydrangea) are the most sun tolerant, but big-leaf hydrangeas like Let's Dance Rhythmic Blue here can take full in cooler areas, like USDA zone 5-6. In zones 7+, they really benefit from shade during the hottest part of the day, though.