Hydrangea macrophylla Endless Summer® BloomStruck® ‘PIIHM-II’
Overview
Uses: Mixed borders, foundation plantings, outdoor containers, and cut flower gardens.
Benefits: A reblooming bigleaf hydrangea from the Endless Summer® collection that flowers on both old and new wood from early summer into fall. Big blooms are rose-pink or purple-blue depending on soil pH, held on sturdy red-purple stems. Good heat tolerance and disease resistance.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4–9
Sun: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Life Cycle: Deciduous Shrub
Growth Habit: Rounded, Mounding — sturdy, with red-purple stems.
Bloom Color: Pink, Purple, Blue
Foliage Color: Dark Green
Mature Height: 3–4 feet
Mature Width: 4–5 feet
Bloom Season: Summer, Fall
Growth Rate: Moderate
Summary
Big pink or purple-blue blooms from early summer into fall, on a hydrangea that still flowers after a hard winter.
BloomStruck® is part of the Endless Summer® collection of reblooming bigleaf hydrangeas. It sets flower buds on both last year’s stems and the current season’s growth, so if winter cold or a late frost takes the older buds, the new stems still bloom the same summer.
The large, rounded flower heads are rose-pink in neutral to alkaline soil and purple-blue in acidic soil. They sit on sturdy red-purple stems that help hold them upright, over dark green leaves on a rounded plant three to four feet tall and four to five feet wide.
That compact size fits foundation beds, mixed borders, and large containers, and the long bloom season means a steady supply of stems for cutting.
Care
Endless Summer® BloomStruck® Bigleaf Hydrangea Care
Plant where it gets morning sun and some afternoon shade, especially where summers are hot. In cooler regions it handles more sun as long as the soil stays moist.
Give it rich, moist, well-drained soil with plenty of organic matter, and avoid spots where water stands after rain.
Water deeply and regularly through the first growing season and during summer heat, when the large leaves wilt quickly in dry soil. A two-to-three-inch layer of mulch helps hold moisture and protects the base of the plant over winter.
Feeding needs are light. One application of a slow release fertilizer in spring is plenty. Heavy feeding pushes leaves at the expense of flowers.
Keep pruning light. Snip off spent flower heads through summer to encourage more blooms. Avoid cutting the plant back in fall, and in spring wait until buds swell before removing any stems that are clearly dead.
Growing in Containers
Its rounded, compact habit suits a large patio container. Use a pot with open drainage holes and a quality potting mix. Container plants dry out faster than plants in the ground, and hydrangeas are thirsty, so check moisture daily in hot weather. Feed lightly each spring, since frequent watering washes nutrients from the mix. Roots in containers experience greater cold exposure than roots in the ground. Plants hardy in the ground may require winter protection when grown in containers in colder zones.
Size
What Size is the Endless Summer® BloomStruck® Bigleaf Hydrangea for Sale Online?
Our Endless Summer® BloomStruck® Bigleaf Hydrangea ships in a greenhouse-grade grow pot and is appropriately sized for its container at the time of shipment. Plants ship dormant or near dormant in the off-season, so they may arrive with few or no leaves. If you have specific sizing or planting questions, please contact us.
How Large Does Endless Summer® BloomStruck® Bigleaf Hydrangea Grow?
Expect about 3 to 4 feet tall and 4 to 5 feet wide at maturity, in a rounded, mounding shape. Space plants about 4 feet apart for a hedge or grouping.
Additional Information
What are some common names for this plant?
It is a bigleaf hydrangea, also widely called mophead hydrangea.
What does reblooming mean for this hydrangea?
Older bigleaf hydrangeas flower only on stems that grew the previous year, so a cold winter or spring pruning can wipe out a season of blooms. BloomStruck® flowers on both old and new stems. The first flush comes from last year’s growth, and new shoots keep producing flowers into fall, even in years when winter damages the older buds.
How do I change the flower color?
Soil pH sets the color. For purple-blue flowers, the soil needs to be acidic; a soil acidifier such as elemental sulfur, applied in spring, lowers pH over time. For rose-pink, raise the pH with garden lime. Changes take a season or more to show, and a soil test tells you where you are starting. For more flowering shrubs, see our Shrubs & Bushes.
