Overview
Uses: Specimen plantings, flowering hedges, back of the border, and cut or dried flowers.
Benefits: An improved Pinky Winky with even larger, fuller cone-shaped blooms. Flowers open white in midsummer and age from the base up to rich pink and rosy red, so each bloom shows two colors at once. Very cold hardy and blooms on new wood every year.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3–8
Sun: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Life Cycle: Deciduous Shrub
Growth Habit: Upright, Rounded — big and sturdy.
Bloom Color: White aging to Pink and Rosy Red
Foliage Color: Dark Green
Mature Height: 6–9 feet
Mature Width: 6–9 feet
Bloom Season: Midsummer to fall
Growth Rate: Fast
Summary
Two colors on every bloom, on bigger, fuller flower cones.
The original Pinky Winky® made its name with flower cones that open white and turn pink from the bottom up, so each one carries two colors at the same time. Pinky Winky Prime® builds on that with larger, fuller panicles. From midsummer the cones open white at the tips while the lower florets shift to rich pink and then rosy red, and the color deepens as nights cool into fall.
It grows into a substantial upright, rounded shrub six to nine feet tall and wide, big enough to anchor the back of a border, stand alone as a lawn specimen, or line a property edge as a flowering hedge.
Like all panicle hydrangeas, it blooms on growth made the same year, so a cold winter or an early-spring pruning will not cost you the summer’s flowers. It is rated to zone 3, which makes it one of the most dependable flowering shrubs for northern gardens, and unlike bigleaf hydrangeas, its flower color does not depend on soil pH.
Care
Pinky Winky Prime® Panicle Hydrangea Care
Full sun gives the strongest stems, the most flowers, and the deepest pink. It also grows in partial shade, and in hot southern gardens a little afternoon shade helps. Panicle hydrangeas are the most sun-tolerant of the common garden hydrangeas.
It adapts to most garden soils, including clay, as long as water does not stand around the roots. Soil pH does not change the flower color.
Water deeply once or twice a week through the first growing season. Established plants ride out ordinary dry spells but will wilt in prolonged heat and drought, so water during extended dry weather, especially while the plant is in bloom. A layer of mulch keeps the roots cool and moist.
Feed once in spring, as new growth begins, with a slow release fertilizer.
Prune in late winter or early spring, before new growth starts. Because it flowers on new wood, you can cut it back by about a third to keep the size in check and encourage sturdy stems; leaving more of the framework produces a larger plant with more, slightly smaller blooms. Every few years, remove a few of the oldest, weakest stems at the base. The dried flower heads can stay on through winter for interest.
Size
What Size is the Pinky Winky Prime® Panicle Hydrangea for Sale Online?
Our Pinky Winky Prime® 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 Pinky Winky Prime® Panicle Hydrangea Grow?
Expect about 6 to 9 feet tall and 6 to 9 feet wide at maturity, in an upright, rounded shape. Space plants about 6 feet apart for a flowering hedge, and give a specimen room to reach its full width. Pruning each spring can keep it toward the smaller end of that range.
Additional Information
What is the botanical name of Pinky Winky Prime® Panicle Hydrangea?
The botanical name is Hydrangea paniculata Pinky Winky Prime® ‘ILVOHPPRM’. It is part of the Proven Winners® ColorChoice® line of flowering shrubs.
What are some common names for this plant?
It is most often called panicle hydrangea. You may also see peegee hydrangea, a name that originally belonged to one older variety but is now often used for panicle hydrangeas in general.
How is it different from the original Pinky Winky®?
Pinky Winky Prime® keeps the two-tone, white-to-pink flowers and cold tolerance of the original, with larger, fuller flower cones. If you already grow Pinky Winky® and like it, Prime gives the same look with more flower mass. For more summer-blooming shrubs, browse our Shrubs & Bushes.
Can I cut the flowers for arrangements?
Yes. For fresh arrangements, cut stems in the morning once the cones have begun to color, and put them straight into water. For dried flowers, wait until late summer or early fall when the florets feel slightly papery, strip the leaves, and stand the stems in a vase with a little water, letting it evaporate as they dry.
Will deer eat it?
Deer do browse hydrangeas, especially the tender new growth in spring. Established panicle hydrangeas usually regrow, but where deer pressure is heavy, use repellents or fencing, or consider plants from our Deer-Resistant Shrubs and Evergreens.
