Overview
Uses: Mixed borders, foundation plantings, outdoor containers, and cut flower gardens.
Benefits: One of the most prolific reblooming hydrangeas, with large, dense mophead flowers on both old and new wood. Blooms are hot pink in neutral soil and rich violet-purple in acidic soil, aging to mauve into fall. Compact enough for containers.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4–9
Sun: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Life Cycle: Deciduous Shrub
Growth Habit: Mounding, Rounded — compact and dense.
Bloom Color: Pink, Purple, Blue
Foliage Color: Dark Green
Mature Height: 2–3 feet
Mature Width: 2–3 feet
Bloom Season: Summer, Fall
Growth Rate: Fast
Summary
A compact hydrangea that keeps blooming long after most have finished.
Let’s Dance ¡Arriba!® is a cross between bigleaf hydrangea and mountain hydrangea. From the bigleaf side it gets big, dense mophead flowers; from the mountain hydrangea side it gets better cold tolerance and the habit of blooming on new growth as well as old. The result is a plant that flowers in early summer, then keeps sending up fresh heads through the season instead of stopping after one flush.
Flower color follows your soil. In neutral to alkaline ground the blooms are a saturated pink; in acidic soil they shift to a rich violet-purple. Whatever the summer color, the heads age to a soft mauve-pink as fall comes on, and they hold up well for cutting and drying.
The plant stays small, forming a rounded mound about two to three feet tall and wide. That size suits the front of a foundation bed, a short run along a walkway, or a large patio container, places where a full-size hydrangea would quickly outgrow its spot.
Care
Let’s Dance ¡Arriba!® Reblooming Hydrangea Care
Plant in full sun to partial shade. In the North, more sun means more flowers; in hot-summer areas, morning sun with afternoon shade keeps the blooms and leaves from scorching.
Give it moist soil that drains well. It does not tolerate soggy ground, so avoid low spots where water stands after rain. Working compost into the planting area helps the soil hold moisture without waterlogging the roots.
Water deeply once or twice a week through the first growing season. Established plants still want a steady supply, especially during hot, dry spells, when hydrangeas are quick to wilt. A two-to-three-inch layer of mulch keeps the roots cool and moist.
Steady growth through summer is what produces the new-wood flower buds, so a little feeding pays off. Apply a slow release fertilizer in early spring once the soil can be worked.
Pruning is not needed and is best avoided, since cutting stems can remove developing flower buds. In spring, wait until new leaves appear, then remove only stems that are clearly dead. Spent flowers can be snipped off in summer to tidy the plant, or left in place for their fall color.
Growing in Containers
Its compact size makes it a good fit for a large patio pot. Use a container with drainage holes and a quality potting mix. Potted hydrangeas dry out quickly in summer heat, so check moisture daily during hot weather, and feed lightly each spring, since frequent watering washes nutrients out of 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 Let’s Dance ¡Arriba!® Reblooming Hydrangea for Sale Online?
Our Let’s Dance ¡Arriba!® Reblooming 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 Let’s Dance ¡Arriba!® Reblooming Hydrangea Grow?
Expect about 2 to 3 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide at maturity, in a rounded, mounding shape. Space plants about 2 to 3 feet apart for a continuous low border or mass planting.
Additional Information
What is the botanical name of Let’s Dance ¡Arriba!® Reblooming Hydrangea?
The botanical name is Hydrangea macrophylla x serrata Let’s Dance ¡Arriba!® ‘SMNHSC’. It is a Proven Winners® ColorChoice® Flowering Shrub from the Let’s Dance® series of reblooming hydrangeas.
What are some common names for this plant?
It is most often called bigleaf hydrangea or mophead hydrangea, after the bigleaf side of its parentage.
How do I get pink or purple flowers?
Color depends on soil pH. In neutral to alkaline soil the flowers are pink. In acidic soil, where aluminum is available to the roots, they turn violet-purple. To shift toward purple, apply a soil acidifier in spring and give it a season or two to take effect; to keep pink flowers, leave neutral or alkaline soil as it is. A simple soil test first tells you which way your ground leans.
Will it still bloom after a cold winter?
Yes. Many bigleaf hydrangeas flower only from buds formed the year before, so a hard winter or late frost can cost a season of blooms. This one also flowers on the current year’s growth, so even if early buds are lost, it still produces flowers later in summer. Avoid cutting the plant back, since that removes the stems that carry both kinds of buds.
Is it a good choice for a small garden?
Yes. At two to three feet, it fits places where larger hydrangeas would need constant cutting back, such as narrow beds along a house or the front of a border. For more compact flowering shrubs, browse our Shrubs & Bushes.
