Hydrangea paniculata Little Hottie® ‘Bailpanone’
Overview
Uses: Mixed borders, foundation plantings, low hedges, outdoor containers, and cut flower gardens.
Benefits: A compact panicle hydrangea bred in Georgia for heat tolerance, with big white blooms that hold up in summer sun without browning. Blooms on new wood for reliable flowers every year, and turns soft pink as fall nights cool.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3–8
Sun: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Life Cycle: Deciduous Shrub
Growth Habit: Rounded, Mounding — compact and well branched.
Bloom Color: Lime Green to White, blushing Pink in fall
Foliage Color: Deep Green
Mature Height: 3–5 feet
Mature Width: 3–5 feet
Bloom Season: Midsummer to fall
Growth Rate: Moderate
Summary
Big white hydrangea blooms on a plant small enough for the front of the house.
Panicle hydrangeas are among the most dependable flowering shrubs, but many of them grow 6 to 8 feet tall and just as wide. Little Hottie® delivers the same large, cone-shaped flower heads on a rounded, well-branched plant about three to five feet tall and wide, a size that fits foundation beds, low hedges, and large patio containers.
The blooms open lime green in midsummer, brighten to clean white, and blush soft pink as nights cool in fall. It was bred in Georgia with hot summers in mind, and the flowers hold their color in summer sun rather than browning at the edges.
Because it flowers on the current season’s growth, a cold winter or a late frost does not take away the summer show, and pruning at the wrong time is hard to get wrong. The cones are excellent for cutting, both fresh in summer and dried in fall for wreaths and arrangements.
Care
Little Hottie® Panicle Hydrangea Care
Plant in full sun to partial shade. In the North, full sun gives the most flowers and the strongest stems. In hot southern summers, a little afternoon shade keeps the plant looking fresher.
Panicle hydrangeas grow in most average garden soils as long as they drain reasonably well. They tolerate clay better than many shrubs. Soil pH does not change the flower color.
Water deeply once or twice a week through the first growing season while roots establish, and during hot, dry stretches after that. A two-to-three-inch layer of mulch helps keep roots cool and moist.
Feed once in spring with a slow release fertilizer. Avoid heavy feeding, which produces soft stems that flop under the weight of the blooms.
Prune in late winter or early spring, before new growth begins. Cut stems back by about a third to keep the plant compact and the stems sturdy, and remove any thin or crossing branches at the base. Old flower heads can be left on through winter for interest and removed at the same time.
Growing in Containers
Its compact size makes it a good choice for 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, so check moisture often in summer and water whenever the top inch of mix is dry. Feed lightly in spring and again in early summer, 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 Little Hottie® Panicle Hydrangea for Sale Online?
Our Little Hottie® Panicle 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 Little Hottie® Panicle Hydrangea Grow?
Expect about 3 to 5 feet tall and 3 to 5 feet wide at maturity, in a rounded, mounding shape. Space plants about 3 to 4 feet apart for a low hedge.
Additional Information
What are some common names for this plant?
It is most often called panicle hydrangea, and is also sold as PeeGee hydrangea.
Can I change the flower color by adjusting the soil?
No. Soil pH changes the color of bigleaf hydrangeas, but panicle hydrangeas are not affected by it. Little Hottie® opens lime green, turns white, and blushes pink in fall in any garden soil. The pink comes on most strongly when fall nights turn cool.
Will it bloom after a hard winter?
Yes. Panicle hydrangeas form their flower buds on new growth each spring, so winter cold, late frosts, and spring pruning do not remove the coming summer’s flowers. That makes it a much more reliable bloomer in cold regions than bigleaf hydrangeas. For more flowering shrubs, see our Shrubs & Bushes.
Will deer eat it?
Deer do browse hydrangeas, especially new spring growth and flower buds. Where deer pressure is heavy, plant it close to the house, use a repellent, or protect it with netting until it is well established. For plants deer tend to avoid, see our Deer-Resistant Shrubs and Evergreens.
